Ramasamy: Penang could well make history with Lim Hui Ying emerging 1st woman CM

Focus Malaysia:

Ramasamy: Penang could well make history with Lim Hui Ying emerging 1st woman CM

AMID rife speculations that Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has come under tremendous pressure to step down, the state’s former chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is betting on Deputy Finance Minister and Tanjong MP Lim Hui Ying to fill up the vacant post.

Basing his justification chiefly on “the push to continue legacy of the Lim’s dynasty”, the former DAP stalwart said the 61-year-old younger sister of DAP chairman and Bagan MP fits the bill as she is also currently the Penang DAP secretary.

“Moreover, there’s no other politically active siblings in the Lim’s family apart from Guan Eng and Hui Ying (although patriarch and retired DAP supremo Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang has four children – two sons and two daughters),” Ramasamy told FocusM.

“Worth mentioning is that an amendment to Article 7 of the Penang State Constitution in November 2018 has added a sub-clause “7(A)(ii)” which has put a pre-requisite to the appointment of CM whereby an individual who has held the position for two terms may no longer be appointed again (Guan Eng had served as Penang CM between 2008-2018).”

Lim Hui Ying (Image credit: Lim Hui Ying 林慧/Facebook)


Earlier in his Facebook post, Ramasamy who was also the former three-term Perai state assemblyman in mainland Penang contended that while it was Chow’s decision not to contest, “nobody knows for sure whether he alone was responsible for the decision”.

“In other words, he could have been cornered into making the decision not to contest the Penang DAP state elections,” asserted the now United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council chairman.

“Perhaps, DAP wanted somebody else to contest and be made the state chairperson and eventually assumes the CM post.”

Added Ramasamy who stayed with DAP for 18 years (since joining the party in September 2005) till quitting during the run-up to the August 2023 six-state election:

“The silver lining that he will continue in the present position of Penang CM was just to gloss over the deep divisions in the party. The coming DAP state polls in Penang present a perfect opportunity for the manifestation of factional politics in the party”

“I wonder how long Chow will last as the Penang CM given writings on the walls suggest that he could relinquish his post as soon as possible.

“Being the DAP vice-chairman is not just sufficient to hold the CM’s position although there is no party stipulation that he must hold the state chairmanship. For now, there is nothing to guarantee that Chow will last for the remainder of the full term in office.” – Sept 14, 2024