GEORGE TOWN, Aug 2 — Voters in Penang are urged to reject parties that play up sensitive issues such as race and religion in the election campaign, caretaker chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said.

The Penang Pakatan Harapan chairman said such actions could undermine the unity of the people in the state.

“There are many issues that can be used in the election campaign and if they want to criticise the state government, they can criticise our Unity Manifesto, the Penang2030 Vision or even the 2018 election promises.

“However, they don’t take advantage of these points but instead use racial and religious issues to win the votes of the people, especially the Malays,” he told reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Penang Global Tourism and Trip.com Group here today.

Chow, who is also Penang DAP chairman, also urged the party machinery to work hard to ensure that the unity government can continue to administer the state.

“On behalf of DAP, I would like to call on all our machinery, whether from Pakatan Harapan or Barisan Nasional, to give their all in their campaign until we achieve victory on August 12,” he said.

In the state election, Chow will be contesting against H’ng Khoon Leng of Perikatan Nasional to defend the Padang Kota seat, which he has held since 2008. — Bernama