Chow to be sworn in as Penang CM
Invitations sent out for tomorrow’s ceremony but without the identity of the new leader
GEORGE TOWN: Chow Kon Yeow, who is known for being a mildmannered but strict administrator, will be the next Chief Minister of Penang.
The state DAP chairman and Padang Kota assemblyman will be sworn in tomorrow.
“It’s to a certain extent confirmed, but an official announcement will be made,” said Chow when asked about this.
He will take over from Lim Guan Eng, ending days of speculation on who would be the next state leader.
Lim, who served here for two terms, was made the new Finance Minister in the Cabinet yesterday.
Party members have been tightlipped about it here since Lim, as Pakatan Harapan deputy president, was in Kuala Lumpur to deliberate on Cabinet appointments.
Invitation cards were sent out earlier for the swearing-in ceremony tomorrow, but the identity of the next chief minister was left out.
Chow, 59, was the state exco member in charge of Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation since 2008.
He won the Tanjong and Padang Kota parliamentary and state seats in the general election.
Chow was also the Tanjong MP for three terms from 1999 to 2013.
Yesterday, Chow was among the Pakatan Harapan leaders who distributed 1,000 carnations to market-goers at Chowrasta Market in Penang Road in conjunction with Mother’s Day.
Chow, who was accompanied by Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng and Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Daniel Gooi, also took the opportunity to thank voters yesterday.
Chow expressed his gratitude to the supporters for putting Pakatan in power in Penang for the third time since 2008.
Pakatan won 37 out of the 40 state seats and secured 11 of the 13 parliamentary seats here.
Meanwhile, Seberang Jaya assem- blyman Dr Afif Bahardin, 33, has received backing from his party members to be the next Deputy Chief Minister I.
Permatang Pauh PKR Youth chief Mohd Sharmizan Datuk Mohamad Nor said Dr Afif would be a suitable candidate based on merit.
“He is also the only state exco member from PKR to be re-elected,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Mohd Sharmizan said Dr Afif, who was the state Agriculture, Agrobased Industry, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman, had a long list of achievements in his report card distributed during the election campaign period.
“He is also Penang PKR deputy youth chief and Penang Pakatan Harapan Youth chief,” he added.
Dr Afif received 16,014 votes with a majority of 7,421 over Barisan Nasional’s Abu Bakar Sidekh Zainul Abidin, who obtained 8,593 votes and PAS’ Ahmad Rafaei Rashid (5,540 votes).
The DCM I post was previously held by Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon from 2013 to 2018, who subsequently contested in the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat in Johor.
Mohd Rashid polled 45,929 votes to beat Barisan’s candidate Haliza Abdullah and PAS’ Mahfodz Mohamed, who secured 28,035 and 8,173 votes respectively.
Mohd Rashid was in charge of industrial development, international trade, cooperatives and community relations.