GEORGE TOWN, June 9 — Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the coalition would include Umno leaders in the next state administration if returned to power.

However, Chow, who is also the chief minister of Penang, said these Umno leaders must first be voted in during the state election expected sometime in July.

"This is subjected to the results: if they do not win any seats, they will not be in the state exco lineup because we do not have any laws to appoint new members who do not have any seat,” he told reporters after attending a STEM initiative programme at SMJK Chung Hwa Confucian here.

He was commenting on Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s keynote address at the Umno annual general assembly today saying Umno wanted representation in the three PH states of Penang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan.

Chow said Zahid’s statement was a reflection of the country’s current political landscape, in which former rivals PH and Barisan Nasional (BN) were partners in the national unity government.

"We are in cooperation mode at the federal level these past seven months and the cooperation at state level can be further strengthened in the upcoming state elections,” he said.

He said the cooperation between PH and BN will also continue during the state polls.

As for seat negotiations with BN, he said was ongoing even after several rounds of negotiations, as all seats offered to the respective parties may not satisfy each party.

"The final decision of the seat negotiations will be decided by the presidential council,” he said.

Chow also confirmed that he will be seeking an audience with the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak on June 27 to get consent for the dissolution of the state legislative assembly on June 28.

Penang has 40 state seats and in the 14th General Election, PH won 37, including two by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia, while BN won two, and PAS, one.

Bersatu and PAS are now in the Perikatan Nasional federal opposition coalition.