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THE cooperation between Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) in Penang is now more important than it was after the 2023 state election.
Initially seen as part of the formation of the unity government, the cooperation has increasingly become a political reality in the state administration.
The decision by Penang PH to retain a BN representative in the state administration until the next general election shows that the cooperation is not merely temporary.
Instead, it has continued based on the understanding reached after the 2023 state election and the experience of jointly administering the state.
For the state government, this continuity carries its own value.
A stable administration allows greater focus to be placed on implementing policies, infrastructure development, the economy, housing, transportation and issues affecting people's daily lives without too much disruption caused by internal political changes.
However, administrative stability does not necessarily mean that all political differences have been resolved.
PH and BN remain two coalitions with their own histories, identities and political interests.
Differences in positions among party leaders, particularly as the next general election approaches, are difficult to avoid.
This is where the biggest challenge to PH-BN cooperation in Penang lies. Relations at the government level need to be separated from competition between the parties.
A decision that is good for the state administration may not necessarily bring equal political gains to all parties.
On Aug 8, Chow Kon Yeow, who is also Penang PH chairman, announced that the coalition had decided to retain Datuk Rashidi Zinol as the BN exco member in the state administration until the general election, in line with the cooperation established during the 2023 state election.
Rashidi, who holds the Rural Development, Agrotechnology and Food Security as well as Entrepreneurship portfolios, also acknowledged that cooperation between PH and BN in the Penang Government administration had been going well and constructively.
Rashidi said throughout his three years serving as an exco member, he had never encountered any problems in his working relationship with leaders and colleagues from PKR and DAP in the state.
However, the development also highlighted differing views among PH leaders themselves over the extent to which Umno and BN should be given a role in the state administration.
The differences show that political cooperation cannot be considered settled simply because the state leadership has reached an official decision.
Nevertheless, one reality cannot be ignored. Throughout the period of cooperation, the BN representative has continued to carry out responsibilities as part of the state administration alongside DAP and PKR leaders.
This shows that differences in ideology and party backgrounds do not necessarily prevent cooperation in administration when there are shared objectives.
The bigger question is how long the formula can endure as the 16th General Election (GE16) draws closer.
The closer the election gets, the greater the possibility that component parties will need to strengthen their respective identities and convince their own supporters.
In such circumstances, PH-BN relations in Penang will be tested not only at the administrative table, but also in the political arena.
For the people, the measure of the cooperation will ultimately not simply be who becomes an exco member or which party is in government.
More importantly, it will be the administration's ability to address transportation, congestion, housing, cost of living, employment, balanced development and public amenities.
Therefore, PH-BN cooperation in Penang can be seen as an effort to maintain government stability while preserving the political identities of the respective parties.
However, as party interests become increasingly influenced by preparations for the general election, the ability of leaders to distinguish between the interests of the government and political interests will become an important factor.
Ultimately, the real strength of PH-BN cooperation in Penang does not lie solely in how long it can be maintained, but in how far both sides can ensure that political differences do not disrupt the state administration.
In the context of GE16, this could become the biggest test yet for the cooperation formula established since 2023.
