WITH eight of his 10 executive council members not re-contesting in the state election on Aug 12, caretaker Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow is prepared to provide leadership to his new team if given the mandate to administer the state for a fourth consecutive term.
The election has seen significant changes in the candidacy, making it a challenge for Chow to work with a fresh team of individuals should the unity government wins the election.
Chow acknowledged it is normal in any election process for some office bearers to be replaced to make way for others.
“Who will be appointed will depend on the election results,” Chow told Free Malaysia Today (FMT) in an interview at his office in Komtar recently.
“I may have to lead a fairly inexperienced team comprising many first or second-term politicians with little administrative experience.
“Although some have served as ‘ahli majlis’ (local government councillors), ‘Aduns’ (assemblymen), MPs (Members of Parliament), they are still new to the complexities of running a government.
“So, as head of the team, I need to provide the leadership on how to galvanise a new team, familiarising them with state policies and administrative structure.
“There are a lot of things to learn. Sometimes when you are a backbencher, you can say anything, because you don’t understand how the government works.
“When you are in, you would realise that there are constraints, there are restrictions.”
Speaking from past experience, Chow said he and many of his fellow exco members also did not have the experience in running a government when Pakatan Rakyat (later became Pakatan Harapan) unexpectedly won the state election in 2008.
However, he said they adapted quickly, learned the processes, and built working relationships with government servants, the community, and the industrial players.
Chow said he would give them six months to get to know more things and personalities, while he provides the leadership, guidance, knowledge and sharing.
On the coming state polls, Chow believes that by and large, the voters are influenced by party or coalition, rather than individual personality.
If given the mandate, Chow plans to continue with the development projects that were left off during the third term.
At the tail-end of Pakatan Harapan’s third term, Penang received approval for several major projects from Putrajaya.
Additionally, Chow also wants to continue pursuing the Penang2030 vision he launched in August 2018, having achieved 47% of the targets set so far.
Looking ahead, he said the state plans to acquire land for industrial development and to move south after the development of Batu Kawan.
Because of the potential of preparing land readiness, he said the state could see private developers venturing into industrial estate development.
However, he said it is important for the state government, through the Penang Development Corporation, to control the industrial park development by promoting industries that are relevant to the whole ecosystem.
The private developers have to take cognisance of this and focus on the high-technology sector, especially electrical and electronics.
Asked about his health, Chow said he is generally in good health and could sleep very well for the past 15 years.
“I sleep very well, probably too tired from working very hard. This is something I can testify to. Of course, only on certain occasions, I could not sleep.
“I am looking after the whole government, not a particular portfolio. So, that is something that requires close attention to ensure smooth operations, public acceptance, and continuous support.
“We want to continue to remain responsive, caring, loving, and accountable to the people, avoiding major blunders and maintaining people’s trust,” Chow said.