Two deputy CMs for Penang

PENANG: The new Penang state government will have two deputy chief ministers - Penanti assemblyman Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin of PKR and Prai assemblyman Dr P. Ramasamy of DAP.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told a press conference at his office in Komtar on Wednesday that the two would be appointed Deputy Chief Minister I and II respectively.

He said the appointment of the two deputies was the right choice to effectively represent all Penangites.

Asked for his response to the appointment, Mohammad Fairus, a 32-year-old business management consultant, said this was a new era of politics put forward for the people and he humbly gave his commitment to serve all Penangites.

Political scientist Dr Ramasamy, 58, said the people wanted democracy, justice and dynamic change, and he would work hard for the people.

Lim said the state executive council would consist of seven DAP and three PKR assemblymen but declined to name any of them except for his deputies, saying that their identities would be revealed during the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Thursday.

He said the state legislative assembly speaker and deputy speaker would come from PKR.

Asked if consideration would be given to the sole PAS representative Mohd Hamdan Abd Rahman for a state exco post, Lim reiterated that it was a DAP-PKR coalition government but he hoped the Permatang Pasir assemblyman would assist the government.

"I feel some arrangement would be made on this matter but we will announce this later," he added.

On the RM25bil Penang Global City Centre (PGCC), Lim said he had just been informed by the Penang Municipal Council and the state Town and Country Planning Department that the project had yet to be approved.

"We were all given the impression when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the project that it was already approved. Apparently this is not so," he said.

Lim said since the project was not approved yet, the question of reviewing or cancelling it did not arise.

He said the state government would process the developer's application according to the normal procedure, and a decision would be made accordingly on whether to approve or reject it.

As to unhappiness from law-abiding citizens on the one-time waiver of summonses for offences involving hawker licences and parking issued by the Penang and Seberang Prai Municipal Councils before March 11, Lim said those who paid the summonses felt they deserved to do so.

"We received many complaints from hawkers and motorists that the summoness issued to them were unjustified as they felt they had not done anything wrong," he said.

--THE STAR