PKR’s Datuk Dr Mohamad Abdul Hamid has been named Penang deputy chief minister I while state DAP vice-chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo is deputy chief minister II.
Mohamad is the state assemblyman for Batu Maung while Jagdeep is the representative for Datuk Keramat for the fourth straight term following the recent state polls on Saturday (Aug 12).
Jagdeep succeeds Dr Ramasamy Palanisamy who held the post for three terms since the 12th general election (GE12) in 2008, but was dropped as a candidate in the recent state polls.
Mohamad will oversee the portfolio of Islamic development, education and national unity while Jagdeep will be responsible for the human capital development, science and technology portfolio.
Their appointments were provided to the media just before the ceremony to swear in the state executive council before Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak at Dewan Seri Pinang this morning.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was sworn in as the chief minister for the second consecutive term before the governor last Sunday.
UMNO Supreme Council member and Bertam state assemblyman Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican, who was previously rumoured to be made a deputy chief minister, was a surprise exclusion from the list of the new unity state government’s executive council lineup.
Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Sungai Acheh assemblyman, Rashidi Zinol, is the coalition’s sole representative in the state Cabinet. He will head the trade and entrepreneurial development, and rural development committee.
Rashidi is the first BN politician to be appointed to the Penang state government in the last fifteen years.
The 11-man exco lineup, which includes eight new faces, comprises eight DAP representatives, two from PKR, and one from UMNO.
The full line-up of the Penang state exco is as follows:
- Chow Kon Yeow (chief minister) – Finance, Economic Development & Land and Communications
- Datuk Mohamad Abdul Hamid (deputy chief minister I) – Islamic Development, Education and National Unity
- Jagdeep Singh Deo (deputy chief minister II) – Human Capital Development, Science and Technology
- Rashidi Zinol – Trade and Entrepreneurial Development & Rural Development
- Zairil Khir Johari – Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Development
- Wong Hon Wai – Tourism and Creative Economy
- Lim Siew Khim – Social Development, Welfare and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs
- H’ng Mooi Lye – Local Government and Town & Country Planning
- Gooi Zi Sen – Youth, Sports and Health
- Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo – Housing and Environment
- Fahmi Zainol – Agrotechnology & Food Security and Cooperative Development.
In last Saturday’s (Aug 12) state polls, the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition won 29 of the 40 seats with DAP retaining 19 state seats while PKR won seven of the 13 seats it contested in.
BN, meanwhile, won two seats while Amanah retained one seat. – Aug 16, 2023
