CARETAKER Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow will let his record speaks for itself as he leads the Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional coalition to win the hearts of the people in the upcoming state election.
In an interview with Malaysia Gazette at his office recently, Chow expressed his belief in his high-reliability rating, given the support he received from the people during his first term as chief minister.
When asked about the highlight of his political career by Malaysia Gazette editor Haslina Ar Kamaludin, Chow said: “The support and trust I was given by the people. That’s the highlight of my political career with people being able to accept me, giving me a chance, believing in me, and knowing that I will work hard and won’t waste the chance.
“I am trusted to deliver. Thank you to the people for believing in me. I will try (to deliver again),” Chow said matter-of-factly.
If the unity government gets the mandate to administer the state, Chow said he would focus on social development, fostering a harmonious society, creating employment opportunities and promoting happy families in his second term as chief minister.
Also on his mind is to ensure several major projects that the Federal Government had approved just before his first term expired would get off the ground.
While acknowledging that projects like the LRT and Silicon Island would not be completed in one term, he aimed to initiate them during his second term.
Responding to claims by Gerakan that projects like Komtar, the Penang Bridge and the Free Trade Zone were established during their administration, Chow highlighted the progress made in Penang over the past 15 years under the rule of Pakatan Harapan.
He noted that critics often shifted their stance, at times criticising the state government for lacking development and at other times for overdevelopment.
He stressed that Penang wants to see a balance between development and environmental protection, in line with sustainable development goals.
Chow reaffirmed his commitment to the Penang2030 vision, launched in August 2018, which aims to create a ‘Family-Focused, Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation.’
With seven years remaining, the state has made significant progress by achieving 47% of the vision’s goals.
Asked why Penang is one of the most advanced states since DAP took over the state government in 2008, Chow attributed it to good governance. It plays a crucial role in gaining the trust and confidence of the people and investors.
He stressed the importance of engaging with reputable sectors, including industry, academia, industry players, NGOs, and community leaders to gather insights and ideas for entrepreneurial endeavours and collaborative vision-building.
As the chief minister in the last five years under four prime ministers, he said he has consistently worked toward making Penang self-reliant as they have different perceptions of the state when it came to budget allocation.
Chow said he wished Penang would get more allocation for having contributed much to the national economy, although he understands that Putrajaya needs to also assist every state in the country.
Looking to the coming state election, Chow said one of the challenges that Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional must overcome is to convince their supporters to back each other’s candidates as they now work as friends rather than enemies.
He acknowledged potential changes in the DAP line-up because it has been a practice of DAP to field several candidates from the youth and women sections in every election.
DAP fielded about seven new faces in the last state election in Penang.
As the number of DAP members has increased, Chow said the youth may have to wait longer than before because there are so many members who have the potential to take on certain roles and responsibilities.