DAP delegates have spoken, respect their decision, Kon Yeow tells Rafizi over unity govt stance

On August 17, DAP central executive committee member Chow Kon Yeow advised Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli to respect the DAP party and the decision made by its delegates to remain in the unity government. This came after Rafizi made comments on the resolution passed during DAP's congress.

Chow made these remarks during the launch of the public participation programme for the Draft Penang Structure Plan 2040 in George Town. Earlier, Rafizi had suggested that DAP's decision to stay in the unity government was anticipated and that it was challenging for a political party that had previously held power to simply relinquish it.

Chow confirmed that the DAP congress was valid as it had met the party's quorum requirement, with more than 50% of eligible delegates attending. He emphasized that the attendance at party elections typically ranges from 60 to 70%, and voter turnout in a general election is not always at full capacity.

Regarding Rafizi's remarks about Penang's limited land supply impacting state revenue compared to other states like Johor, Chow stated that the Penang state government had always planned for land development. He mentioned that land acquisition and opening up land for development were ongoing for various purposes, including industrial use.

Chow also highlighted the reclassification of rural areas as urban areas as a method of rezoning land use in Penang. He noted that the state government maximizes the use of existing land to ensure that development delivers the greatest impact for the state, considering Penang's strengths and constraints.