GEORGE TOWN: A DAP leader has asked Pakatan Harapan to rethink its decision to hold state elections separately from the general election.

Bukit Gelugor member of parliament and DAP national legal bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh said PH-led states had announced they would hold state elections next year, but that decision was made to avoid holding the general election amid possible floods at the end of the year.

"But now that the federal government has forced us into a general election, where the rakyat have no choice but to come out to vote despite the real possibility of adverse weather, should these PH states burden their rakyat more by insisting they come out to vote again next year for state elections?

"I have been on the ground in Penang and know that the people do not want separate elections. 

"Their wish to hold state and parliamentary elections concurrently is overwhelming.

"Let me make it very clear. PH is against the (general) election being held now and we have stated our reasons for these many times.

"But we are forced to consider state elections now because of the selfish decision of the federal government in calling for parliamentary elections now.

"This means that the rakyat have no choice but to come out to vote for MPs now.

"So why not save the further burden on the rakyat and separate election costs and hold state elections now as well?" he said in a Facebook posting today.

He said the rakyat had to go out and vote for MPs now, so "why not vote for both state assemblymen and MPs as well?"

"The opposition will say that we have no principles by reneging on our decision to hold state elections next year. But really, let's ask ourselves, who caused this?

"There is nothing unprincipled in holding concurrent elections now as it is certainly in the interests of the rakyat.

"I wish to appeal to the PH leadership to seriously consider holding simultaneous parliamentary and state elections now in all its states as we will be stronger facing the opposition now."

He said the rakyat would understand that they were forced to do this as it was the federal government that forced this "flood election" upon them in the first place.