Penang trumpets highest state GDP growth ahead of polls

GEORGE TOWN – Penang achieved the highest gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 13.1% among all states last year, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

He said this would be a boost for Pakatan Harapan (PH), which he chairs in Penang, as the state faces elections.

Chow said Penang’s performance tops the list, followed by Selangor (11.9%), Pahang (10.8%) and Kuala Lumpur (9.2%).

These four states had also exceeded the national GDP average of 6.9% last year, he told a press conference at Komtar to mark the dissolution of the 14th state assembly tomorrow.

Penang’s GDP was RM112.1 billion last year – an outstanding achievement despite lingering threats from Covid-19, climate change and global economic uncertainty, Chow said.

He said that Penang has made excellent strides and slammed his critics who had alleged that his administration had been moving at a slow pace.

“Penang is the champion of investments. We managed to garner RM120.9 billion from 2019 until 2022. For the last 15 years, the state has secured up to RM200 billion.”

Chow said Penang has achieved 90% of the manifesto promises PH made in the 2018 election, including creating many jobs.

Until June this year, 61 manifesto points were achieved, while work to ease traffic congestion is underway.

Chow said that the Package 2 of the three highways promised by the state is set to link Air Itam to the Tun Lim Chong Eu Expressway.

Work has also begun on Package 1 of the north coastal paired road linking Tg Bungah to Teluk Bahang.

The feasibility study for the third link project – a cross-channel undersea tunnel – between Bagan Ajam and Gurney Drive has also been finalised, Chow added.

In the run up to the Vision 2030, Chow singled out five major challenges Penang must anticipate: depleting water resources, acute shortage of land for development, talents, climate change, and sustaining economic growth.

He said PH remains the best option to address these issues.

With state polls likely to be held in August, Chow also reminded PH assemblymen at the press conference today that the state government will be a caretaker one after the assembly’s dissolution tomorrow.

He also issued a reminder that the state government’s official vehicles will be returned to a holding garage when nominations for the state election begins.

Chow also said that as a caretaker government, no major decision or project will be undertaken unless it had been decided by the state before the dissolution.

Besides Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu are also holding their state elections respectively. – The Vibes, June 27, 2023