By BERNAMA / Graphic By TMR

State DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow was announced as the new Penang chief minister (CM) to replace Lim Guan Eng who is now Malaysia’s new finance minister.

Chow’s appointment was announced by Lim at a press conference at the Tun Abdul Razak Complex in Georgetown yesterday.

Lim said Chow, who is also Padang Kota state assemblyman, is expected to take his oath of office at the residence of Penang Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas in Sri Mutiara today.

In the recent 14th General Election (GE14), Pakatan Harapan, comprising DAP, PKR, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and Amanah, won 11 parliamentary and 37 state seats in Penang.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) only won two parliamentary and two state seats, while PAS secured one state seat.

Meanwhile, Chow, who is also the MP for Tanjong, thanked all voters and people in the state for giving the Pakatan Harapan the mandate to continue ruling Penang for the third term.

“Thank you to the voters and the people who have given Pakatan Harapan stronger mandate to continue to rule the state. Congratulations to all Pakatan representatives who were elected, and to the three who were not elected, we still appreciate the sacrifices they made as Pakatan candidates,” he said.

Chow also expressed his gratitude to Penang’s Pakatan Harapan for giving him the trust as a new CM and pledged to fulfil all that was promised in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto to the people.

In the GE14 Chow won the Padang Kota state seat with a 7,808-vote majority, while in contest for Tanjong parliamentary seat, he garnered 34,663 votes defeating BN candidate, Ng Siew Lai who only got 5,064 votes.