Penang CM post under spotlight

GEORGE TOWN: The post of Penang Chief Minister came under the spotlight during the debate session of the state DAP convention today.
Shamsher Singh told delegates the party leadership should require that the post of the head of a state government be held by the state party chairman.
He said this was important as the mandate to lead the state administration should be given to those trusted by the grassroots.
He also urged that those who receive the highest votes during state elections be made the state chairman and not be chosen among the 15 elected to the committee as practised now.
"The voting process must change to give power to the grassroots to choose their leaders," he said in his debate.
The topic was also picked up by A. Kristnan who said the person who held chief minister's post should be limited to two terms.
"It does not matter who is the chief minister but the person holding the post should be limited to two terms," he said.
Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow in winding up the debate however said term limits were not supported by the leadership.
He said the issue was referred to the party's central executive committee for discussion and the reply was that Malaysia practises a Westminster governance system and not a presidential one.
He said the head of government in a Westminster system has to resign when the confidence of the house was lost while only impeachment could remove a sitting president.
He also defended the method state party posts were allocated among those elected to the state committee and dismissed the notion horse trading was going on.