‘Party with most seats gets Penang CM’s post’

Majority: This is always the governing factor, not race

Why is this suggestion coming up now?

Datuk Muhammad Farid Saad

PETALING JAYA: Most political parties agree that the Penang chief minister’s post should go to the party that wins the most seats in the state.

They believe that should be the governing factor in deciding who is picked for the post and not whether the candidate is Malay or Chinese.

The issue of a Malay chief minister for Penang was raised by a PKR politician Hasmi Hashim, who is organising a forum “Malay Chief Minister for Penang, Yes or No” in Bangsar tomorrow.

PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has, however, distanced himself from his former aide Hasmi, saying the playwright is no longer working for him.

Azmin also said he would never support views revolving around racial lines.

He said Pakatan Harapan does not function along racial lines and that the current Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng does not represent one race but all Penangites.

On Hasmi’s statement, Azmin said it was his former aide’s personal opinion and had nothing to do with the party.

Penang MCA chairman Datuk Tan Teik Cheng said even when Barisan Nasional ruled the state, the decision on who should be the chief minister was always governed by who had the highest number of seats.

“This was the consensus agreed by the Barisan component parties, and this has been how we’ve been picking the Penang chief minister when we were governing Penang,” he said.

State Barisan and Gerakan chairman Teng Chang Yeow also said that it was an unwritten agreement within Barisan that the party with the most seats called the shots for the chief minister’s position.

“I do not know what kind of game PKR is initiating with the suggestion for a Malay chief minister.

“DAP holds the majority seats in the state, so they are the ones to make the call,” he said.

Pulau Betong Umno assemblyman Datuk Muhammad Farid Saad expressed a similar view, while questioning the reason why Hasmi is raising the issue now.

“It has always been understood that the majority wins the post. Why is this suggestion coming up now?” he asked.

Deputy Chief Minister 1 Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon of PKR said Pakatan adheres to the principle that the chief minister will be from the party with the most seats, and as such, DAP with 19 seats gets the post.

State Amanah chief Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the proposal was nothing new as it was floated during the Barisan government’s time in Penang.

“However, it was not acted upon as Barisan maintained that the seat traditionally belonged to Gerakan.”