Chow being groomed as future Penang CM

Penang DAP chief named to contest state and federal seats "to prepare him for future role as chief minister".

Chief minister Lim Guan Eng says Chow Kon Yeow will stand for Parliament and state. (Facebook pic)

GEORGE TOWN: Penang DAP leader Chow Kon Yeow is to be fielded for seats in Parliament and the state assembly as preparation for becoming a chief minister in the future, the party announced today.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Chow would contest in Tanjong (for Parliament) and the Padang Kota state seat.

Chow said he had “never left Tanjong. I am there, always”. Padang Kota is one of three state seats within Tanjong.

He represented Tanjong for three terms until 2013, and has served two terms as Padang Kota assemblyman.

Lim was reticent about his own position after the general election, with Pakatan Harapan expected to retain the state for a third term.

“I have always said Chow is my replacement and ‘bakal CM’. That is why in our plans of succession, we have asked him to be a parliamentarian in order to smoothen matters related to the federal government.

“Like it or not we must have good relations with the federal government — better yet, we become the federal government at the coming elections, ” Lim said in a press conference at a hotel in Gurney Drive today.

Chow was later asked if the succession plan was to allow Lim to take up a cabinet post if Pakatan formed the next federal government.

He denied this was the case, saying the party wanted to be prepared for eventualities arising from Lim’s ongoing corruption trial. Lim is accused of abusing his position in granting a conversion of land title for a businesswoman from whom he had bought his bungalow house. -FMT