KEPALA BATAS – Bertam assemblyman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican has not held discussions with any parties on his participation in the formation of the Penang state government.
The Umno Supreme Council Member said he would leave it completely to the party leadership and the unity government to decide on the matter.
“Not yet (discussion), not with any leadership in the state. I have spoken to some party leadership but that’s all, we are not going any deeper on anything,” he said when met by Bernama while greeting members of the local community.
In the Penang state election yesterday, Reezal Merican won with a majority of 2,321 votes when he obtained 10,453 votes to defeat former incumbent Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq of Perikatan Nasional (PN), who received 8,132 votes in a straight fight to seize back the Bertam seat.
In Penang, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition set up a unity government after winning the state with two-thirds majority to secure 29 of 40 seats contested.
DAP won all 19 seats it contested while PKR took seven, Amanah one and BN two from the 40 seats in the Penang State Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, Reezal Merican, who is a former housing and local government minister, described his victory in Bertam as redeeming his loss in the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat in the 15th general election. – August 13, 2023