THE Penang Legislative Assembly has unanimously approved a motion to establish a Select Committee on State and Federal Relations to improve the governance and administrative works between the state and Federal governments.
The motion, proposed and tabled by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, was in accordance with the regulations of the State Legislative Assembly.
The motion also sought to allow the state to have more authority in the aspect of public transportation, social welfare, environment and fairer allocations from the Federal Government as listed in the Penang GE14 election manifesto.
“With the political uncertainty in recent years, coupled with the post-Covid-19 pandemic challenges that affected people’s livelihood, it is important to restructure the power between state and Federal Governments.
“This special committee will be set up to identify ‘specific problems’ between both state and Federal Governments and the need to have a fairer distribution of resources.
“The main goal of this committee is also to recognise the need to empower the state government, as well as having a good relationship between the state and Federal Governments,” he said when tabling the motion.
Other objectives of the committee are to study the policies and projects that require allocation from the Federal Government under the Federal Constitution, to increase autonomy for the state, to demand a fairer distribution of allocations, to demand transparency in the accounts of the Federal Government and to have open discussions concerning revenues shared between state and Federal Governments.
Chow hoped the committee would be able to promote coordination, consultation and cooperation between state and Federal Governments.
The list of the committee members is led by Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P. Ramasamy, Sungai Dua assemblyman Datuk Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor, Bukit Tengah assemblyman Gooi Hsiao-Leung, Bagan Dalam assemblyman Satees Muniandy, Machang Bubok assemblyman Lee Khai Loon, Permatang Pasir assemblyman Muhammad Faiz Fadzil, Bertam assemblyman Khalid Mehtab Mohd Ishaq, Penaga assemblyman Mohd Yusni Mat Piah and Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng.
During the debate of the motion, Gooi lauded the initiative to have such a committee.
“I believe that Penang is the first state in the country to have this committee to ensure fairer allocations to the state.
“With the swearing-in of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the new Prime Minister, we hope the state can be given enough resources to develop itself,” he said.
Teh also stood up and praised the forming of the committee.
“We hope the state and federal can have a good relationship to adopt the concept of decentralisation,” he said.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Law Suun Ting
Video by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi