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GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has reorganized his state executive councilors in accordance with a mid-term review of his management and to ensure that the different committees worked together.
He also said that this measure was to prevent the different committees from working in silos as is the case today.
The most important change involved Chow handing over the transportation portfolio, which it had run since May 2018, to Zairil Khir Johari.
Chow, in turn, will take over the economic planning portfolio of his deputy P Ramasamy. This portfolio will also be combined with the portfolio on land issues, in a committee called the “land and economic development committee”. Chow had also previously been in charge of land-related matters.
The other notable change involved CM I MP Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman and Abdul Halim Hussain, who exchanged portfolios.
Zakiyuddin has now taken over the Halim cooperative portfolio and in turn Halim has taken over the Zakiyuddin trade and industry portfolio.
Exco member Yeoh Soon Hin remains in charge of the key portfolio covering Penang’s important tourism and heritage scene. However, the name of his portfolio has changed from art, culture and heritage to tourism and creative economy.
According to Chow, the other exco members would remain as is, but their portfolio names will be changed to reflect the respective aspects covered.
All new exco roles will take effect starting Tuesday, September 15.
He said the naming conventions for exco committees will be different, with long past names changed to appropriate names that reflect the general category to which the committee belongs.
“The reorganization of excos portfolios is part of a broader plan to ensure that all excos worked together to maximize the impact of their roles rather than acting in silos,” said Chow.
He added that in addition to renaming the portfolios, the state think tank Penang Institute has been hired to advise on policy-related discussions of the exco committees.
“The institute will steer the policy-making discussions of the committees to be evidence-based and knowledge-based. This would also ensure that the implementation of all projects is monitored and enforced, ”he told reporters at Komtar today.
On the other hand, Halim, who is the president of business development, asked all companies that wish to renegotiate their loans, since the end of the loan payment moratorium ends on September 30, to attend a bank fair in Bayan Lepas this weekend.
He said 17 major banks, including agencies such as Bank Negara, the credit advisory body AKPK and others, will have booths at the fair to help companies that want to renegotiate their loan repayments.
“Anyone interested should bring their latest bank statements, audited accounts, sales records and other relevant documents,” he said.
Also present in Komtar today to promote the event were Bank Negara’s Penang Manager, Abdul Hamid Akbar Ali, and North Malaysia Banking Association Chapter Head Zolkefli Awang.
The fair will take place at the RAIA Hotel in Bayan Lepas this Saturday and Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm. Those wishing to attend are encouraged to register for free at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RACPENANG.
