THE Pakatan Harapan state government has started to take steps to limit the chief minister’s tenure to two terms. 

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the pledge would be looked into, with PH achieving two-thirds majority in the state legislative assembly, winning 37 out of 40 state seats in the May 9 polls.

He said the state legal adviser has been asked to study how to amend the state constitution to insert this new provision.

“We target to table this proposal in the November state legislative assembly sitting, when we will also table the state budget for 2019.

“We will have ample time to deliberate on it. When the proposal is ready, we will also announce it to the public. We also invite the people to give their feedback and views,” he told a press conference at Komtar today following an exco meeting.

Setting the two-term limit is the first election pledge in Penang PH’s manifesto for the 14th general election, in line with the national PH pledge to limit the tenure of the prime minister to two terms.

Chow also said the state excos have been instructed to make sure the 68 Penang PH pledges are fulfilled within the current term.

“The pledges will be divided among the excos according to their respective portfolios for further action and implementation.

“They will come up with proposals on how to deliver the pledges. Some pledges  will be delivered faster than others. Pledges that are long-term projects will take some,” he said.

Chow also said the administration might tweak the exco portfolios to be inline with the ministerial portfolios in Putrajaya.

“The cabinet is not yet complete. When it is, we will study it and make the necessary changes to the portfolios in the state to make it easier for the excos to work with their federal counterparts,” he said.

He added that the number of excos appointed would not change, as the state constitution only allowed a maximum of 10.

Chow also said that the state government was working on a mechanism to measure the performance of state excos, assemblymen and councillors.

He also announced that two-term Komtar assemblyman, Teh Lai Heng, 37, from DAP has been appointed political secretary to the chief minister. – May 23, 2018.