I want to do something different, says Penang CM

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow says Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project will take about 15 years to complete.

-NSTP/Danial Saad

GEORGE TOWN: A little more than a year after taking office, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow talks to the New Straits Times about his plans for the state.

Question: How has the past year been for you since you became the chief executive of the state? What problems and challenges did you face?

Answer: I hope I have a shoulder broad enough to bear the responsibility of being chief minister of an exciting state. I have not faced major problems and challenges. This may be due to the environment and circumstances that have been shaped for me to operate in.

The past 10 years during my tenure as executive councillor in the Penang government, I consider it training. I see this as more of a continuity of that 10 years serving the state, but of course, the present post allows me to do things differently.

The change of environment has resulted in more attention given to national-level politics and governance and less public scrutiny and attention on me compared with the past. This has given me more space to operate in my own way.

Q: You are seen as “soft”, unlike your predecessor, who was seen as more aggressive. You are more diplomatic and accommodative. Do you agree?

A: It is my nature to be accommodative and accepting. I tend not to get embroiled in controversies. The spotlight is not on me due to the changed environment, so I am free to do what I want to do.

But don’t you think I have given an impression that I am “hard” regarding the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) and Penang South Reclamation (PSR) projects? We did not buckle under pressure, instead, we allowed the authorities to grant the approvals. Anyone less strong could have lost it.

On other issues, such as the Kulim International Airport, we expressed our concerns despite it being different from the federal government’s and Kedah government’s. It is our responsibility to stand firm on issues in the interest of the state.

Whenever diplomacy is required, it should be used to resolve issues. After all, we are one “family” now and collaboration and cooperation are the way forward for all.

Q: You are also perceived as a weekday chief minister as it is said that Saturdays and Sundays are the days your predecessor returns to the state to fulfil his responsibilities. Do you agree?

A: Lim Guan Eng is a member of parliament from the state, an assemblyman and also finance minister, who takes care of the whole country. If you look at how ministers function, it is normal that they return to their constituencies during weekends.

We cannot prevent him from coming back as he has a constituency to look after and he can still exercise his rights as finance minister to respond to questions on national issues.

Furthermore, he receives invitations from the private sector here. That is why he is here from time to time.

He has been in the thick of action for 10 years. In fact, he was super active. It is natural that he returns here often as Penang is special in his heart.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the first quarter foreign direct investors (FDI) results showed majority of

the investment in the country was from existing manufacturing facilities reinvesting in their facilities.

Q: What improvements have you brought to the people as chief minister? Tell us about your Penang 2030 vision.

A: Efforts now are mostly a continuation of what we have been struggling for in the past 10 years. We still carry out social programmes and will continue with others, unless they overlap with federal projects, which can then be reviewed as needed.

Meanwhile, we are quietly working on Penang 2030. It is incumbent on me to have a vision, something different from what we have been doing.

During that time, we have governance principles, such as Competency, Accountability and Transparency, Cleaner Greener and others. I want to bring something different, a vision plan for the state, not as big as Vision 2020, but something suitable for Penang that covers social economic development.

It is a work in progress, but the engagement is ongoing. The latest development is that 12 officers have been identified by the state secretary to be in charge of 12 strategic initiatives in the Penang 2030 vision. I hope we can implement it from this August and will make announcements in due time.

I also want to resolve many longstanding issues, such as roadside hawkers. This should be addressed so that we can have a higher quality of life.

Q: How do you rate your team’s performance in the past year? Are you comfortable with your executive councillors? Any reshuffle?

A: I used my first year to find the right things to do and my team did the same. Even the incumbents had to explore new things related to their portfolio due to technological advancement.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is taking us by storm and all the portfolios will be impacted. Look at human resources, for instance. It has created new demands and requires new skill sets, new ways of doing things to come up with new solutions.

Regarding reshuffling, I intend to do a bit for myself. I have not thought about others yet. I did say before that once we have secured the approvals for PTMP and PSR, I will pass the baton to the executive councillors for implementation. Besides that, I will take a look at digital transformation.

Reshuffling is not something bad. If it makes things better, gets the team to be more focused, then it is all right.

Q: Is your transport portfolio a heavy burden on you?

A: It has been a long and tedious process. This is challenging because it is a mega project. This is too big and should be placed under the federal government.

What we are thinking of at the moment is to secure approvals, and once that has passed, we will apply for federal funding and even invite the federal government to take up the project, especially the LRT (light rail transit). They are involved in it in the Klang Valley and in other rail projects.

That is if the federal government is financially able to take it up. For now, let us wait for the approvals and make a formal request.

The Tun Abdul Razak Complex in George Town. Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow says the future of the state is in Seberang Prai. – NSTP/Mikail Ong

Q: What about Pakatan Harapan’s state manifesto? How many have been fulfilled? What has not been fulfilled and why?

A: We can expect all the manifesto (promises) to be fulfilled by the end of the term. Right now, overall, it is at 75 per cent, while some are work in progress. Most of our promises are a continuation of what we have been doing, hence, the process is ongoing.

Q: You will be the first chief minister to be limited to two terms. How do you see that?

A: It was an election commitment and I saw that as achievable, since we have a two-thirds majority. If I did not fulfil it, then you may question why I have not done it yet. I see it as something that we have to do, so I did it. I am not certain if the term will enable me to achieve my vision, but at least it will allow for the foundation to be laid for the future.

With seven to eight years of hard work, we should have a smart city with e-government and e-commerce in place.

Q: Much has been said about major development projects in the state, such as PTMP and its projects. How is this good for the state? Could such a major project take a toll on the state in the long run?

A: Transport mobility, logistics and telecommunication infrastructure are all necessary for any state to move forward. We have travelled to other places and things that differentiate are these components.

Having such an infrastructure will enable us to face challenges in the future, and this is the only project that the island can afford physically. This may be the final opportunity for us to lay down the proposed projects.

Twenty to 30 years down the road, if such projects are to be implemented (then), who knows how many houses need to be torn down to find the alignment. We proposed how much the island can support, nothing more.

Q: Your government has met with much resistance from non-governmental organisations, which continue to ask the state government to stop the projects. Does the state have plans to shelve them?

A: We have not thought about scrapping, but can modify and scale down. These are possible.

There is a lot to be done to finalise the agreement, especially the technical aspects and the design. This is why we have yet to sign the agreement. The cost and value of the land involved are big issues to be finalised, and even then, it can still throw a spanner in the works if we cannot agree to the terms. We can still say no deal, however, we will avoid it.

We are committed to the project, but also to good governance. We will negotiate for the agreement.

I do not see us calling off the project at this juncture, but we can come up with a compromise.

We have yet to get approval for the LRT, and once we get it, we can decide which system to use. It is still very open and we will also look at cost-saving aspects.

We have visited the Gamuda worksite for the Mass Rapid Transit project and they have shown their professionalism in managing the worksite well and we can expect something similar here.

If there are obstacles, we are open to discussions. Last week, I met fishermen who claimed to be affected by PSR. They say they cannot support the project, but we have come so far. We had a breakthrough with them as they were asking about compensation packages. What they proposed was to transform themselves — larger boats with high-powered engines attached with a GPS system so that they can go and fish further out at sea.

This was what I was thinking about all these years. We do not want to impact their livelihood. I did say we will officially negotiate once we receive the approval.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow says his objection on the Pan-Island Link (PIL) project 20 years ago was against the toll.

– NSTP/Danial Saad

Q: How long will it take to get approvals for all the mega projects in the state?

A: Optimistically, within this year. If we can begin any part of the project by mid-next year, it will be great. After the approvals, a year is a fair timeline to begin implementation.

LRT and PSR should start together. In fact, the reclamation should go ahead as it is the funding model.

Q: What about the proposed PSR project? Will it proceed even with federal funding? Is there no other way to fund PTMP except through massive reclamation?

A: This is an often asked question. If you recall, the intention of the reclamation is not solely to fund the project, but the lands are also necessary for future development.

The lands are necessary for social, economic and industrial development for the next 30 to 50 years for Penang.

Q: PSR has met with resistance. Is there a possibility of scaling down the project from the proposed three man-made islands?

A: The reclamation will take about 15 years to complete. Along the line, if there are any changes in circumstances, such as federal funding, it can be reviewed.

Q: There are concerns that the Pan-Island Link (PIL) project is a rebranding of the former Penang Outer Ring Road project proposed by Barisan Nasional, which your party (DAP) vehemently opposed. Why did it change its tune?

A: I wonder if the opposition objects to the PIL today or not.

If you look at my objection 20 years ago, it was against the toll. They wanted to toll the road, that was the principal objection.

Q: What do you think about the petition to the prime minister by non-governmental organisations objecting to PSR? Will the petition stall the project?

A: Recently, they got the opportunity to table it at the National Physical Planning Council meeting, and later on, I presented to counter their views and convinced the ministers who were in attendance.

I would say it was the most challenging presentation yet as Penang Forum had objected to everything about it. When my turn came, I had to use every ounce of my energy to explain why PTMP and PSR were necessary for the state. I hope the decision to give the go-ahead stays. I believe this is the first time an NGO was allowed to present. It was unprecedented and I hope it will be a precedent.

Q: What are your plans to develop mainland Penang, which is often seen as lagging behind?

A: I have always said the future of Penang is Seberang Prai. I said that realising that Seberang Prai has the potential to be the engine of growth. It has greater potential land-wise and in terms of infrastructure. The state government’s expenditure, about 70 per cent, is spent on Seberang Prai. We recongnise this and put the money where it is needed.

Q: There is a perception that houses built in Penang are for the rich, not the people. Is this true? The state has also been accused of being developer-friendly. What about now?

A: The issue of house prices is not only happening in Penang, but also involves major centres, such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor and the Klang Valley. Penang recognises the low-income group and we have a low-income housing quota policy in place for them.

We were accused of being developer-friendly when we increased the housing density. Previously, you can see that most buildings are less than 10 storeys high, but once we changed it, developers can build more than 20 storeys on the same plot of land. This changed the physical landscape of the state. We did this so that we can cap escalating house prices.

We also introduced an affordable homes policy for the middle-income group for homes up to RM400,000 per unit.

Q: What is Penang’s stand on the proposed Kulim International Airport? How will you make your voice heard by the federal government?

A: The chief secretary to the government and the state secretary have met. Since this is a private finance initiative (PFI), then PFI should come into the picture.

They must explain how this can synergise with the Penang International Airport. We do not want our airport to be closed. So we will wait to see if the private sector is interested in the project.

Q: Penang used to claim it is sidelined by the federal government. What about now?

A: We have to admit that Penang has received some federal projects as well. However, the money does not come to the state to implement the projects. We have applied for a number of projects and we hope it can be approved so that the state and local councils can carry out the projects.

Q: Some say with only three opposition assemblymen in the state, your government can bulldoze through projects or decisions without fear. Your comment?

A: Actually, we cannot simply go ahead with projects. If that is the way, we would have carried out the mega projects five years ago since we had a two-thirds majority in the last two terms.

The opposition needs to work harder and we welcome NGOs to provide checks and balances. The opposition must represent the people’s aspirations.

Q: Penang has won accolades and was recently listed as among the best places to visit in Asia. How has this helped promote Penang? What other achievements does the state want?

A: In the past, I did not think much of the accolades. But these are given by world-recognised publications and organisations, so there must be a basis. When I look at the list, the other cities are top notch, such as Seoul and Bali. Of course, Penang can benefit from these recognitions, but we have to maintain them by keeping our city clean and safe, while maintaining our food quality.

Almost 50 per cent of guests are returning visitors.

Q: Tell us about yourself. How do you juggle public office and private life?

A: Ten years ago, I would have described myself as a colourless person, not sociable and not exciting, but time has changed me. But I am happy to shoulder this responsibility with a cheerful heart knowing that there are prayers and support for me.

I have two sons who have passed their teenage years, now studying in college and university, but I neglected them during their teen years. Now they are closer to their mum and that is the price I have to pay as chief minister.

Q: You were a journalist before becoming a politician. Tell us about the journey. Has your experience helped you as chief minister?

A: I served as a journalist for less than two years. However, my life journey in politics is regarded as a different form of the journalistic journey. Both politics and journalism go hand in hand.

I can understand journalists and can appreciate their work. I flip through papers every day to keep myself updated. So I am in the thick of the action and find it a joy as I was a media person myself.

It is part of my nature to be involved in the news, but now I am also creating news. Maybe it is fate, but if you look at it, many journalists become politicians.

Q: Did you ever in your wildest dreams think you would become chief minister?

A: Never, to be honest. Once, my cousin asked what was my ambition. I said I wanted to become an officer in the government. The closest I thought was becoming a district officer. Becoming chief minister never crossed my mind in my younger days.

Q: You are moving into Sri Teratai, the official chief minister’s residence, soon. How did the decision come about?

A: I started thinking about it when the queries were coming in about the dilapidated condition of the building. It is, after all, a state asset. We cannot let it rot. We took a decision to repair it and I was willing to move in. Other menteris besar and chief ministers also stay at their official residences.

As for privacy, I believe Penangites respect privacy, and if there are any official duties, they can approach me through the service centres.