The Penang State Legislative Assembly is the legislature of the Malaysian state of Penang. It is a unicameral institution, consisting of a total of 40 elected lawmakers representing single-member constituencies throughout Penang. The state legislature, whose members are called State Assemblymen, convenes at the Penang State Assembly Building in Penang's capital city of George Town. The Penang State Executive Council, the executive branch of the Penang state government, is drawn from among the State Assemblymen.
Penang State Legislative Assembly Dewan Undangan Negeri Pulau Pinang 槟城州议会 பினாங்கு மாநில சட்டமன்றம் ديوان اوندڠن نݢري ڤولاو ڤينڠ | |
|---|---|
| 15th State Legislative Assembly | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 11 July 1959 |
| Leadership | |
Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak since 1 May 2021 | |
Deputy Speaker | |
Leader of the Opposition | |
Secretary | Maheswari Malayandy |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 40 Quorum: 13 Simple majority: 21 Two-thirds majority: 27 |
 | |
Political groups | (As of 24 May 2024[update]) Government (29) BN (2)
Opposition (10) Vacant (1) PH (non-MLA) |
| Committees | 5
|
| Elections | |
| Plurality First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 12 August 2023 |
Next election | By 28 October 2028 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Penang State Assembly Building, Light Street, George Town, Penang | |
| Website | |
| dun | |
After the 2023 Penang state election and out of the 40 seats, 29 are held by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling coalitions. Within the PH coalition, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) retains its 19 seats since 2008, the People's Justice Party (PKR) holds 7 seats and the National Trust Party (Amanah) retain just a single seat, while the BN coalition holds 2 seats. The PH and BN coalitions thus command a supermajority in the legislature. Meanwhile, 11 seats are held by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition coalition.
Current composition
edit| Government | Opposition | ||||
| PH | BN | PN | |||
| 27 | 2 | 11 | |||
| 19 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| DAP | PKR | AMANAH | UMNO | PAS | BERSATU |
Seating arrangement
editThe seating arrangement of the Penang State Legislative Assembly is as follows.[1]
Role
editThe Penang State Legislative Assembly's main function is to enact legislation and policies relating to the State List and Joint List as defined in the Federal Constitution. Its members also provide oversight on the state's executive branch of government, ensuring the state departments and agencies enforce the aforementioned legislation.[2] Debates in the Assembly are presided over by the Speaker.
The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Assembly is appointed the Chief Minister by the Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Penang. The Chief Minister heads the state's executive, known as the State Executive Council, whose members are also drawn from the Assembly.
Committees
editThe State Assembly also consists of committees to handle administrative matters. The committees include:[3]
- Public Accounts Committee
- Committee on Privileges
- House Committee
- Standing Orders Committee
- Constitution Committee
Speakers Roll of Honour
editThe following is the Speaker of the Penang State Legislative Assembly Roll of Honour, since 1959:[4]
| No. | Speaker | Term start | Term end | Party | Constituency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sulaiman Ahmad | 6 January 1959 | 1 April 1964 | Alliance (UMNO) | Alma |
| 25 April 1964 | 19 March 1969 | ||||
| 2 | Harun Sirat | 10 May 1969 | 31 July 1974 | Gerakan | Alma |
| 24 August 1974 | 16 June 1978 | BN (Gerakan) | Bukit Tengah | ||
| 3 | Hassan Md. Noh | 8 July 1978 | 29 March 1982 | BN (UMNO) | Penaga |
| 4 | Teh Ewe Lim | 22 April 1982 | 19 July 1986 | BN (Gerakan) | Datok Keramat |
| 5 | Ooi Ean Kwong | 3 August 1986 | 5 October 1990 | BN (Gerakan) | Datok Keramat |
| 6 | Abdul Rahman Abbas | 21 October 1990 | 4 April 1995 | BN (UMNO) | Bertam |
| 7 | Yahaya Abdul Hamid | 25 April 1995 | 10 November 1999 | BN (UMNO) | Pinang Tunggal |
| 29 November 1999 | 2 March 2004 | ||||
| 21 March 2004 | 12 February 2008 | Non-MLA | |||
| 8 | Abdul Halim Hussain | 8 March 2008 | 27 June 2013 | PR (PKR) | Non-MLA |
| 9 | Law Choo Kiang | 28 June 2013 | 10 April 2018 | PH (PKR) | Bukit Tambun |
| 2 August 2018 | 28 June 2023 | Non-MLA | |||
| 29 August 2023 | Incumbent |
Election pendulum
editThe 2023 Penang state election witnessed 29 governmental seats and 11 non-governmental seats filled the Penang State Legislative Assembly. The government side has 25 safe seats and 1 fairly safe seats, while the non-government side has 4 safe seats and 3 fairly safe seats.
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List of Assemblies
edit| Assembly | Term began | Members | Election | Committee | Majority party/coalition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1959 | Wong Pow Nee I | Alliance | ||
| 2nd | 1964 | Wong Pow Nee II | Alliance | ||
| 3rd | 1969 | Lim Chong Eu I | Gerakan (1969-1973) Barisan Nasional (1973-1974) | ||
| 4th | 1974 | Lim Chong Eu II | Barisan Nasional | ||
| 5th | 1978 | Lim Chong Eu III | Barisan Nasional | ||
| 6th | 1982 | Lim Chong Eu IV | Barisan Nasional | ||
| 7th | 1986 | Lim Chong Eu V | Barisan Nasional | ||
| 8th | 1990 | Koh Tsu Koon I | Barisan Nasional | ||
| 9th | 1995 | Koh Tsu Koon II | Barisan Nasional | ||
| 10th | 1999 | Koh Tsu Koon III | Barisan Nasional | ||
| 11th | 2004 | Koh Tsu Koon IV | Barisan Nasional | ||
| 12th | 2008 | Lim Guan Eng I | Pakatan Rakyat | ||
| 13th | 2013 | Lim Guan Eng II | Pakatan Rakyat (2013-2015) Pakatan Harapan (2015-2018) | ||
| 14th | 2018 | Chow Kon Yeow I | Pakatan Harapan | ||
| 15th | 2023 | Chow Kon Yeow II | Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Persidangan dewan undangan negeri penggal keempat belas" (PDF). Dewan Undangan Negeri Pulau Pinang.
- ^ Role and Membership of the State Assembly Penang State Assembly Portal
- ^ List of State Assembly Committees Penang State Assembly Portal
- ^ Senarai Yang di-Pertua Dewan Undangan Negeri