Penang BN does not have a shadow cabinet or state executive council, its leader Teng Chang Yeow said today.

This was a response to the concerns raised against Pakatan Rakyat not having a shadow cabinet despite its desire to seize Putrajaya.

azlan However, Teng said, the state BN does have a committee to monitor the various state government portfolios.

This committee has existed since 2008 when BN lost Penang in the last general election, he added.

This task used to be handled by the 11 elected Umno assemblypersons, but the state BN in 2009 appointed 40 state and 13 parliamentary coordinators to oversee the portfolios, he said.

Teng said the job of the committee was to monitor the performance of those holding the portfolios and to raise issues in the state legislative assembly through the BN members.

'Most of us have administrative experience'

"We never thought, and it never crossed our minds, that this was a shadow cabinet or exco," Teng said, adding that it was more like a think-tank or a monitory body on the state portfolios.

“There would be some adjustments as we have coordinators now,” he added at a press conference.

Asked if this committee would assume the state exco post if BN regained Penang in the coming GE, Teng said, “Not necessarily”.

He added: “This committee does not perform any administrative or government function.”

Teng, who is Gerakan secretary-general, was also asked who would become chief minister if the BN took Penang back.

“We will decide when we take over. But as state chairperson, I will decide and will get the endorsement of the prime minister.

“After all, most of us already have administrative experience running the state government.”

Teng was, as usual, coy about admitting or denying that the state BN chairperson would most probably assume the post of chief minister.