THE voters hold the key to deciding who the future Chief Minister of Penang should be, says incumbent Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
“It’s a democracy, so the voters will decide. Democracy recognises only the winner,” he said in response to a reporter’s question following a viral Facebook post by Rakan Muda Persatuan Melayu Pulau Pinang (Pemenang), which questioned whether Penang should have its first Malay Chief Minister in view of the Chinese community having slipped to second place in population share.
Pemenang cited the state’s latest demographic shift, saying the 2025 census by the Department of Statistics Malaysia showed that the Bumiputera population in Penang has, for the first time, become the majority at 46.2% (about 750,000 people), compared with the Chinese population at 43.7% (about 709,000 people). Indians make up 9.5% (approximately 154,000 people), while others account for 0.6% (about 10,000).
In total, the state’s population stands at 1.803 million, of which 1.623 million are Malaysian citizens, and 180,000 are non-citizens.
Unlike some states that mandate a Malay-Muslim Menteri Besar, the Penang Chief Minister’s post is not determined by ethnicity. Under the state constitution, the Chief Minister must command the confidence of a majority in the State Legislative Assembly and is typically the leader of the party or coalition that secures the most seats.