PENANG Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has not ruled out continuing his political career in Parliament when his two terms as the state's top executive end.
Chow, who is now the Batu Kawan MP and four-term Padang Kota assemblyman, said he would refer to his family, friends, party comrades and the Pakatan Harapan (PH) leadership before deciding his next moves politically.
The Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) graduate, who became the first chief minister from the USM alumni, said there are two options out there for him.
One is to retire, or another to focus on a parliamentary seat and serve in the Federal Government, should the present national unity coalition of PH - Barisan Nasional (BN) regain its majority after the next general election.
The 67-year-old oversaw one of the most challenging periods for a chief minister in Penang's chequered history.
Chow first had to confront the "Sheraton Move" backdoor government, which led to political instability from 2020 until 2022; this came amidst the deadly Covid - 19 pandemic, which resulted in "economic paralysis."
And last year, Penang, which is the top exporter in the country, was staring down global economic uncertainty due to the punitive US import tariffs.
Now, Chow needs to oversee the rollout of the state's largest ever infrastructure projects from the Silicon Island reclamation to the Mutiara Light Rail Transit (LRT).
On top of it, the state is also expected to unveil the Penang Hill cable car project and three bypass highway roads to disperse traffic in the congested state.
Reflecting on Penang's transformation, Chow said that congestion persists.
However, with the advancement of local government, urban sanitation, and flood control efforts, Penang is now undergoing a qualitative change and is gradually moving towards becoming more advanced.
Chow emphasised that "one generation plants the trees, another enjoys the shade," and these achievements come from long-term accumulation and cannot be attributed to one person.
"This job is unlikely to meet everyone's expectations and demands. I am not here to please others or pursue popularity, and this attitude is reflected in my governance philosophy and results. I am here to try to meet the aspirations of the majority."
He cited the issue of pig farming as an example, saying that as he had said before, it is better to act sooner rather than later.
If the pollution problem is not addressed promptly, the problem will only become serious and impact the environment, Chow underlined.
"This is actually an environmental issue, not a racial one. If people see the results of the government's efforts, even if there were dissenting voices, they will gradually be understood and respected."
Chow reiterated that he is now more focused on promoting the "to-do list," such as the Penang2030 Vision and the PH election manifesto.
He admitted that the Vision progressed slowly during his first term due to the pandemic and political turmoil.
However, in 2023, with the PH government taking federal office, the projects that Penang had been fighting for were approved one after another, including the Silicon Island and LRT projects, which have now been officially launched.
"The state government has established a progress dashboard so that the people can check and monitor it. This is my approach: every project has a measurable framework, rather than being just wild imagination."
Regarding the current political landscape, Chow says that the country is in a very challenging and uncertain state, with internal conflicts occurring between the ruling and opposition camps.
Coupled with the hype surrounding sensitive issues on social media, this poses a significant challenge to PH, he said in a recent interview Guang Ming Daily.
"From economic growth, industrial investment, foreign investment and interest rates, to the continuous progress in institutional reforms and the anti-corruption agenda, this shows that the government is moving in the reformist direction and despite the volatile political environment, it remains committed towards promoting reforms, balanced with growth."
He mentioned that the country is now in the era of a coalition-dependent government, which is formed without a single camp holding an absolute majority of seats, and has changed from the previous two-party system to a multi-party one.
He said that despite internal uncertainties facing the Opposition, PAS should retain its influence, and whether PH and BN will continue to cooperate in the future adds another variable to the next election. - February 20, 2026.
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