Governance and law of Penang

The state of Penang, Malaysia has its own state legislature and executive, but these have very limited powers in comparison with those of the Malaysian federal authorities.

Penang is one of only four states in Malaysia not to have a hereditary Malay Ruler or Sultan, being a former British settlement, the other three being Malacca, also a British settlement, whose sultanate was ended by the Portuguese conquest in 1511, and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak.

The head of the state executive is a Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King of Malaysia). The present Governor is Tun Dato' Seri Haji Abdul Rahman bin Haji Abbas. In practice the Governor is a figurehead, and he acts upon the advice of the state Executive Council, which is appointed from the majority party in the Legislative Assembly.

The Chief Minister of Penang is Mr. Lim Guan Eng from the Democratic Action Party (DAP). Following the 12th general election of 8 March 2008, the coalition of DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) formed the state government, with the chief ministership going to the former that emerged as the single largest party in the state legislature.

Penang is the only state in Malaysia in which its chief ministership has been continuously held by a non-Malay ethnic Chinese since independence, reflecting the state's ethnic majority.

Penang has two deputy chief ministers: Dato' Mohd Rashid bin Hasnon from PKR is Deputy Chief Minister I and Dr. P. Ramasamy of DAP is Deputy Chief Minister II. The latter made history by becoming the first ethnic Tamil to hold the deputy chief minister post.

Ever since coming into power, Chief Minister Lim has been espousing a clean and efficient government based on CAT (Competency, Accountability, and Transparency).

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