Despite the hype, and against earlier expectations, neither Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng nor any representatives from DAP attended PKR's political bureau meeting tonight to consult them on snap state polls.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting tonight, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said the party remained unconvinced that an early election in Penang was necessary.

"The PKR political bureau is of the opinion that we have yet to be convinced as to the purpose and goal of the snap polls," Wan Azizah added.

However, she said the party was willing to discuss this further with Pakatan Harapan.

Heavy pressure

Rumours of snap polls in Penang came amid heavy pressure on Lim, who was slapped with two corruption charges last month.

Previously, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy told Malaysiakini that DAP had shortlisted two options in response to the corruption charges.

Ramasamy said one was to call for a snap election to gauge the people's response to the charges, while the other was to wait for the general election to be called, no later than August 2018.

Lim is charged with approving the rezoning of a plot of land in Balik Pulau from agriculture to residential use, which the prosecutors said was done to benefit one of the landowners, businesswoman Phang Li Koon.

Lim chaired the state planning committee that approved the rezoning, which was later rejected by the Penang Island City Council.

Phang is also the previous owner of the bungalow on Jalan Pinhorn, which Lim purchased for RM2.8 million, purportedly below its market value.

Phang has also been charged, together with Lim, with abetting him in purchasing the property at below market value, which is an offence in the Penal Code for a public official.