Motion to limit CM post to 2 terms fails – for 4th time

DAP rep Teh Yee Cheu also wants to limit PM post to two terms, claiming this will benefit the people and allow capable leaders to come forward.

GEORGE TOWN: A DAP assemblyman today appealed to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to have an “open mind” and institute a two-term limit for the Penang chief minister’s post for the sake of reformation.

Debating on the motion of thanks for the governor’s opening address, Tanjung Bungah rep Teh Yee Cheu said he was referring the matter to Lim as he was the chairman of the State Constitutional Committee.

He said he was taking Speaker Law Choo Kiang’s advice to refer the matter to the committee.

In May last year, Teh’s proposed motion to limit the term of office for the position was rejected on a technicality.

Law said then that the motion was not drafted according to normal conventions, with wrong citations that were not relevant to house rules.

Teh, who has made three unsuccessful attempts to submit his motion to the Penang state assembly to limit the tenure to two consecutive terms, has been pushing the issue for the past four years.

His fourth attempt today to submit his motion in this current assembly sitting was again rejected.

But this did not seem to discourage him. Teh said he was still convinced the tenure of the chief minister, menteri besar and prime minister should be limited.

“I want to advise the chairman of the State Constitutional Committee to accept my proposal with an open mind and to do things for the sake of reforming our government.

“In the end, this will benefit the people. I am doing this with a good heart,” he told the assembly.

Teh said his motion had no political bearing but was intended to benefit the people and allow capable leaders to lead the government.

The 11-member bipartisan State Constitutional Committee, led by Lim, comprises RSN Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima), A Thanasekaran (DAP-Bagan Dalam), Cheah Kah Peng (PKR-Kebun Bunga), Mohd Salleh Man (PAS-Permatang Pasir), Ong Chin Wen (PKR-Bukit Tengah), Jahara Hamid (BN-Teluk Ayer Tawar), Muhammad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong), Mohd Zain Ahmad (BN-Penaga), Omar Abdul Hamid (BN-Permatang Berangan) and Shariful Azhar Othman (BN-Bertam).

Teh expressed hope that former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir, who is now PPBM deputy president, would also promote the idea at the next polls.

“I understand Mukhriz has supported the idea of two terms for the posts of MB and PM,” Teh said.

Mukhriz had said he would limit the prime ministership to two terms if Pakatan Harapan formed the government in the next general election.

Lim, who became chief minister in March 2008, is currently serving his second term. -FMT