# Penang State Legislative Assembly

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.
After the 2023 Penang state election, 29 out of 40 seats are held by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN). The PH–BN alliance thus command a supermajority in the legislature. Meanwhile, 11 seats are held by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition coalition.

## Current composition

| Government | Government | Government | Government | Opposition | Opposition |
| PH | PH | PH | BN | PN | PN |
| 27 | 27 | 27 | 2 | 11 | 11 |
| 19 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4 |
| DAP | PKR | AMANAH | UMNO | PAS | BERSATU |
| No. | Parliamentary Constituency | No. | State Constituency | Member | Coalition (Party) | Post |
| - | - | - | Non-MLA | Law Choo Kiang | PH (PKR) | Speaker |
| P041 | Kepala Batas | N01 | Penaga | Mohd Yusni Mat Piah | PN (PAS) | N/A |
| P041 | Kepala Batas | N02 | Bertam | Reezal Merican Naina Merican | BN (UMNO) | N/A |
| P041 | Kepala Batas | N03 | Pinang Tunggal | Bukhori Ghazali | PN (PAS) | N/A |
| P042 | Tasek Gelugor | N4 | Permatang Berangan | Mohd Sobri Saleh | PN (PAS) | N/A |
| P042 | Tasek Gelugor | N05 | Sungai Dua | Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff | PN (PAS) | Opposition Leader |
| P042 | Tasek Gelugor | N06 | Telok Ayer Tawar | Azmi Alang | PN (BERSATU) | N/A |
| P043 | Bagan | N07 | Sungai Puyu | Phee Syn Tze | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P043 | Bagan | N08 | Bagan Jermal | Chee Yeeh Keen | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P043 | Bagan | N09 | Bagan Dalam | Kumaran Krishnan | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P044 | Permatang Pauh | N10 | Seberang Jaya | Izhar Shah Arif Shah | PN (BERSATU) | N/A |
| P044 | Permatang Pauh | N11 | Permatang Pasir | Amir Hamzah Abdul Hashim | PN (PAS) | N/A |
| P044 | Permatang Pauh | N12 | Penanti | Zulkefli Bakar | PN (BERSATU) | N/A |
| P045 | Bukit Mertajam | N13 | Berapit | Heng Lee Lee | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P045 | Bukit Mertajam | N14 | Machang Bubok | Lee Khai Loon | PH (PKR) | N/A |
| P045 | Bukit Mertajam | N15 | Padang Lalang | Daniel Gooi Zi Sen | PH (DAP) | EXCO Member |
| P46 | Batu Kawan | N16 | Perai | Sundarajoo Somu | PH (DAP) | EXCO Member |
| P46 | Batu Kawan | N17 | Bukit Tengah | Gooi Hsiao Leung | PH (PKR) | N/A |
| P46 | Batu Kawan | N18 | Bukit Tambun | Goh Choon Aik | PH (PKR) | N/A |
| P047 | Nibong Tebal | N19 | Jawi | Jason H'ng Mooi Lye | PH (DAP) | EXCO Member |
| P047 | Nibong Tebal | N20 | Sungai Bakap | Abidin Ismail | PN (PAS) | N/A |
| P047 | Nibong Tebal | N21 | Sungai Acheh | Rashidi Zinol | BN (UMNO) | EXCO Member |
| P048 | Bukit Bendera | N22 | Tanjong Bunga | Zairil Khir Johari | PH (DAP) | EXCO Member |
| P048 | Bukit Bendera | N23 | Air Putih | Lim Guan Eng | PH (DAP) | Former Chief Minister of Penang MP for Bagan |
| P048 | Bukit Bendera | N24 | Kebun Bunga | Lee Boon Heng | PH (PKR) | N/A |
| P048 | Bukit Bendera | N25 | Pulau Tikus | Joshua Woo Sze Zeng | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P049 | Tanjong | N26 | Padang Kota | Chow Kon Yeow | PH (DAP) | Chief Minister MP for Batu Kawan |
| P049 | Tanjong | N27 | Pengkalan Kota | Wong Yuee Harng | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P049 | Tanjong | N28 | Komtar | Teh Lai Heng | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P050 | Jelutong | N29 | Datok Keramat | Jagdeep Singh Deo | PH (DAP) | Deputy Chief Minister II |
| P050 | Jelutong | N30 | Sungai Pinang | Lim Siew Khim | PH (DAP) | EXCO Member |
| P050 | Jelutong | N31 | Batu Lancang | Ong Ah Teong | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P051 | Bukit Gelugor | N32 | Seri Delima | Connie Tan Hooi Peng | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P051 | Bukit Gelugor | N33 | Air Itam | Joseph Ng Soon Siang | PH (DAP) | N/A |
| P051 | Bukit Gelugor | N34 | Paya Terubong | Wong Hon Wai | PH (DAP) | EXCO Member |
| P052 | Bayan Baru | N35 | Batu Uban | Kumaresan Aramugam | PH (PKR) | N/A |
| P052 | Bayan Baru | N36 | Pantai Jerejak | Fahmi Zainol | PH (PKR) | EXCO Member |
| P052 | Bayan Baru | N37 | Batu Maung | Mohamad Abdul Hamid | PH (PKR) | Deputy Chief Minister I |
| P053 | Balik Pulau | N38 | Bayan Lepas | Azrul Mahathir Aziz | PH (AMANAH) | Deputy Speaker |
| P053 | Balik Pulau | N39 | Pulau Betong | Mohamad Shukor Zakariah | PN (PAS) | N/A |
| P053 | Balik Pulau | N40 | Telok Bahang | Muhamad Kasim | PN (BERSATU) | N/A |

## Seating arrangement

The seating arrangement of the Penang State Legislative Assembly is as follows.
| N08 Bagan Jermal | N27 Pengkalan Kota | N33 Air Itam | N31 Batu Lanchang | N17 Bukit Tengah | N13 Berapit | N14 Machang Bubok | N35 Batu Uban |
| | | N18 Bukit Tambun | N28 Komtar | N02 Bertam | N23 Air Putih | | |
| N32 Seri Delima | | B | B | B | B | | Vacant |
| N25 Pulau Tikus | | | | | | | N38 Bayan Lepas (Deputy Speaker) |
| N24 Kebun Bunga | N10 Seberang Jaya | C | | | A | N34 Paya Terubong (EXCO Member) | N36 Pantai Jerejak (EXCO Member) |
| N09 Bagan Dalam | N11 Permatang Pasir | C | | | A | N22 Tanjong Bunga (EXCO Member) | N16 Perai (EXCO Member) |
| N07 Sungai Puyu | N06 Telok Ayer Tawar | C | | | A | N21 Sungai Acheh (EXCO Member) | N15 Padang Lalang (EXCO Member) |
| N20 Sungai Bakap | N03 Pinang Tunggal | C | | | A | N29 Datok Keramat (Deputy Chief Minister II) | N19 Jawi (EXCO Member) |
| N39 Pulau Betong | N01 Penaga | C | | | A | N37 Batu Maung (Deputy Chief Minister I) | N30 Sungai Pinang (EXCO Member) |
| N40 Telok Bahang | N12 Penanti | C | | | A | State Legal Advisor | State Financial Officer |
| N04 Permatang Berangan | N05 Sungai Dua (Opposition Leader) | C | Secretary | Secretary | A | N26 Padang Kota (Chief Minister) | State Secretary |
| | | | Speaker | Speaker | | | |
| | | | Yang Di-Pertua Negeri | Yang Di-Pertua Negeri | | | |

## Role

The 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. 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

The State Assembly also consists of committees to handle administrative matters. The committees include:
* Public Accounts Committee
* Committee on Privileges
* House Committee
* Standing Orders Committee
* Constitution Committee

## Speakers Roll of Honour

The following is the Speaker of the Penang State Legislative Assembly Roll of Honour, since 1959:
| No. | Speaker | Term start | Term end | Party | Constituency |
| 1 | Sulaiman Ahmad | 6 January 1959 | 1 April 1964 | Alliance (UMNO) | Alma |
| 1 | Sulaiman Ahmad | 25 April 1964 | 19 March 1969 | Alliance (UMNO) | Alma |
| 2 | Harun Sirat | 10 May 1969 | 31 July 1974 | Gerakan | Alma |
| 2 | Harun Sirat | 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 |
| 7 | Yahaya Abdul Hamid | 29 November 1999 | 2 March 2004 | BN (UMNO) | Pinang Tunggal |
| 7 | Yahaya Abdul Hamid | 21 March 2004 | 12 February 2008 | BN (UMNO) | 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 |
| 9 | Law Choo Kiang | 2 August 2018 | 28 June 2023 | PH (PKR) | Non-MLA |
| 9 | Law Choo Kiang | 29 August 2023 | Incumbent | PH (PKR) | Non-MLA |

## Election pendulum

The 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.
2023 Penang state election :

## List of Assemblies

| Assembly | Term began | 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 |