GEORGE TOWN, July 15 — Penang’s unity government remains stable despite political developments in Melaka and several other states, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

He said cooperation among the component parties in the state government remained smooth, with no issues affecting the administration.

“So far, there are no issues concerning our cooperation. Everything remains as usual — the status quo. No party has initiated any new decision regarding the direction of the government,” he said at a press conference at his office in Komtar today.

“Some of our colleagues have said the Penang unity government remains intact. That is the view at this point,” he added.

Chow was commenting on Melaka DAP’s decision to withdraw from the state government after the Melaka State Legislative Assembly passed amendments to the state constitution allowing for the appointment of nominated state assemblymen.

He said the Penang state government had once considered allowing the appointment of nominated state assemblymen to fulfil a 30 per cent quota for women in line with the state’s gender equality stance.

However, he said Penang could not implement the proposal due to difficulties in calculating the quota based on the number of seats.

“Penang’s proposal was for women, in the interest of gender equality, whereas the one in Melaka was for everyone, so it is different,” he explained.

On the Johor state election results, Chow, who is also Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, said the coalition accepted the outcome with an open mind and was reviewing the reasons behind the setback.

He said various analyses were being conducted to identify the factors behind PH’s defeat and declining support so that the coalition could address its weaknesses.

“We welcome all views because they are advice that can help us rectify our weaknesses, build on our strengths and reorganise our strategy.

“It is not easy to dismiss the views of the people. We will examine all the factors because there may be many reasons that contributed to the outcome,” he said.

Chow said the priority was to strengthen public confidence in PH’s struggle and policies.

He also acknowledged the growing influence of social media in shaping public opinion.

He said digital technology had transformed the political landscape and society through the rapid spread of information.

“Social media can influence thinking, change perceptions, shape expectations and create distrust. All of these affect many aspects of life, including politics,” he said.