Chow: No plans to review chief minister’s salary, give more privileges to former CMs

The state government has no plans to give additional privileges to former chief ministers, says Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (pic).

In response to Ong Ah Teong (PH-Batu Lancang), Chow said the state enactment ensured that all assemblymen, including those who held positions in the state government, were entitled to a pension upon retirement.

He also said the state government had no plans to review the chief minister’s salary, which was last reviewed 10 years ago.

For the past 20 years, the chief minister’s salary has been fixed at RM14,000.

In a separate matter, Lim Siew Khim (PH-Sungai Pinang) said that husbands too were among victims of domestic violence in Penang.

“From January to September, 64 such cases were reported in the state,” she said in her reply to Lee Boon Heng (PH-Kebun Bunga).

The number of domestic violence cases has gone down to 288, against 450 cases last year, based on police records, said Lim, who is Penang social development, welfare and non-Islamic religious affairs committee chairman.

She revealed the breakdown of cases by gender in 2022 was 105 for males and 345 involving females.

She said this year, 64 involved males and 224 females.

She highlighted that in diversifying the support services provided to domestic violence victims, the Penang Safe Family Policy had been formulated and implemented since 2020.

Lim said 345 First Support Points had been set up to provide initial assistance to domestic violence victims.

“These First Support Points consist of government departments and agencies, state assembly service centres, non-governmental organisations and religious organisations.

“In addition, various programmes have also been conducted for more than 1,600 individuals to increase awareness of the signs of domestic violence and how to seek assistance,” she added.