A minister has suggested that DAP starts looking for a new chief minister for Penang just in case the court finds incumbent Lim Guan Eng guilty of the twin corruption charges against him.

On that note, Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the new candidate should possess "less tokong aura".

Lim, who has been chief minister since 2008, is often referred to as "tokong" (deity) by his critics and political rivals.

Abdul Rahman was responding to DAP mulling the option of holding a snap election in Penang to gauge the people's support for the embattled chief minister.

"Here is my two cents. Doing it now is yet another cheap political stunt from them. Just like donation campaign and political persecution claim," he tweeted.

The minister in the Prime Minister's Department also argued that if the snap polls is to serve as a referendum for Lim, it would make better sense to hold it after the court’s decision.

"At least the voters will have full knowledge and understanding of evidence presented in court. Thus, they will vote as informed voters," he said.

This morning, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy said DAP has shortlisted two options in response to the corruption charges against Lim, which included holding the snap polls.

The other option, he added, was to wait for the coming national polls, to be called no later than August 2018.

"Whatever option we take, we will ask the people to decide whether the action taken against Lim was indeed political persecution, and whether the people want Pakatan Harapan to continue ruling the state," he said.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, was charged with 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 market value.

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