GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has hinted that the state legislative assembly will be dissolved at the end of May to pave way for the state election in June.
Chow, who is also Penang Pakatan Harapan chairman, said the dissolution of the state legislative assembly at the end of May was the most suitable time to make way for the state election to be held in June or July, in the six states which have yet to hold their respective elections after the 15th General Election (GE15).
''If it (the state legislative assembly) is dissolved at the end of May, the state polls must be held in June, or at the latest in July.
''So, it may be true what the other Chief Ministers and Menteris Besar said, that June or July is the most appropriate month to standardise state polls in all the six states,'' he told newsmen at his office in Komtar here today.
Prior to this, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor had said that the Kedah state assembly would be dissolved after the middle of June to allow for the state polls to be held.
Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun had also suggested that the state assembly be dissolved on June 1 to pave the way for the state polls.
In GE15, six states, namely Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu did not dissolve their respective state assemblies.
As such, state polls will be held if the respective state governments dissolved their respective state assemblies or the state assemblies dissolved by itself after the end of the term.
Chow said there had not been any official meeting with the Menteris Besar and Chief Ministers of the six states to discuss the issue of state polls or the dissolution of the state assembly in their respective states thus far.
''A meeting between the Menteris Besar and the Chief Ministers with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will only take place on Feb 21. In the same week, there will also be a Conference of Rulers meeting at the Istana Negara.
"So, at these two events, we may be able to discuss on state polls,'' he added.
Chow said, previously, there had been discussions that each state administration would serve until the end of the current term before the state polls are held.
''However, some Menteris Besar feel that they can win, so they want to speed up the state polls.
"But now, the situation is different,'' he said.