GEORGE TOWN (May 3): The Penang Government is seeking decentralisation of Federal powers, the State Assembly was told today.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said many things needed to be reviewed so that sharing of powers between the Federal and State Governments was fairer and effective for Penang’s long-term development.

According to him, the State had been treated like a “step-child” under the previous Barisan Nasional Government.

"The statistics issued by  the Penang chapter of IDEAS (Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs), show the states of Melaka and Perlis received higher Federal allocations than Penang in 2016,

"Penang received a measly RM216 million or 3.8 percent of the total allocation (to the States) from the Federal government (then) ,” he said when winding up debate on the motion of thanks for the Penang Yang Dipertua Negeri’s (YDP) address.

However, Chow said this did not mean that the Penang Government could usurp Federal powers as these were determined by the Federal Constitution.

Nonetheless, he said the perception that Penang was a rich State and does not need much help should not be a factor when it comes to attention from the Federal Government.

On the YDP’s call for the construction of a new State Legislative Assembly complex, Chow  said no decision on this had been made yet and that the matter would be discussed later.

Meanwhile, State Executive Councillor Dr Afif Bahardin, during the Q & A session, said the majority of fishermen in Penang supported the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project but are hoping that the State Government will consider compensating them.

He said the feedback was obtained via surveys conducted by a consultant appointed more than two years ago.

"Not many asked whether they could still do fishing once the project took off. This is because they are familiar with fishing grounds,” he said.

He was replying to a supplementary question from Goh Choon Aik (PH-Bukit Tambun) who wanted to know how many of the 805 fishermen who participated in the survey would be affected by the project.

He added that the fishermen also asked about resettlement and that this was still at the discussion stage.

The sitting this time passed two motions, one to set up a trust fund for village committees and the other for fresh and re-appointments to the Appeals Board on the Penang Freedom of Information Enactment 2010,

The sitting adjourned sine die.