The Penang government will implement a key performance index system to monitor the performance of the state executive councils and local governments, the state executive councillor in charge of the matter, Jagdeep Singh Deo, said.

Jagdeep said the KPI taskforce would also monitor the 68 election promises of the Pakatan Harapan government, which has been given a third mandate in Penang on May 9, when the people voted in the 14th general election.

He provided a list which detailed the number of tasks and responsibilities for the 11 members of the state executive council.

According to the list, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow (land affairs and development, transportation and information) has 10 tasks on his plate to achieve during this term, while Jagdeep (local government, housing, urban and rural planning) himself has 19, the most tasks, compared to the other exco members.

Others include:

  • Deputy Chief Minister I Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahmah (industrial development, Islamic affairs and community relations) - seven tasks;
     
  • Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy (economic planning, education, human resources, science, technology and innovation) - seven;
     
  • Zairil Khir Johari (flood mitigation, public works and utilities) - two;
     
  • Abdul Halim Hussein (domestic and international trade, consumer affairs and entrepreneurial development) - five;
     
  • Dr Afif Bahardin (health, agriculture and agro-based business, and rural development - seven;
     
  • Phee Boon Poh (welfare, caring society and environment) - 15;
     
  • Chong Eng (gender inclusiveness, non-Islamic religious affairs) six;
     
  • Yeoh Soon Hin (tourism development and heritage, arts and culture) - five; and
     
  • Soon Lip Chee (youth and sports) - two.

"Unlike the federal government, which has 100 days to fulfil the pledges, ours has no time limit as we have started the process of delivering our promises since 2008," Jagdeep told reporters after offering food to senior citizens at the Little Sisters of the Poor yesterday.

"Although we do not have a time limit, we have to work very hard to try and achieve the election promises. We cannot have a lackadaisical attitude," he added, after cutting the cake in memorial of his late father, Karpal Singh, on the occasion of his 78th birthday.

"We need to deliver promptly while ensuring that the deliveries are of good quality so we also cannot rush in doing things," he stressed.

Since May 9, Jagdeep said he has been able to resolve several issues related to affordable housing, which was put on a standstill by the previous BN government.

Five years have gone to waste

"I was one of the first state exco members to meet the new Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, and we managed to settle so many issues during our meeting," Jagdeep said.

"I tried to tell her that perhaps it was a matter of miscommunication between the Penang and federal governments, but she said that it was instead no communication at all, which was why Jagdeep's letters to the administrations was never responded to," he added.

"We have wasted the last five years," he added.

However, Jagdeep's press conference ended on a positive note when he said that two housing projects in Mak Mandin (Butterworth) and Tok Subuh (Bukit Mertajam), which the state proposed to convert from public housing to "rent to buy" method has been agreed in principle by the minister.

Accompanying Jagdeep at the event were his mother, Gurmit Kaur, wife Belinda Kaur, son Sher Jagdeep Singh and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) Mayor Yew Tung Siang.

Saying that the state's election theme is "Deliver Penang's Future", Jagdeep added that the KPI also applies to local councils MBPPand MPSP (Seberang Perai Municipal Council) as he does want to see the two authorities slip into a "comfort zone".

"We will update and report on the progress of our portfolios to the state executive council, and we will keep the public informed about our development," he said.

Yew said MBPP would try its best to achieve its target creatively by making Penang a "smart, safe, clean, healthy and liveable city".

He said MBPP has 13 departments, which will do their best to cooperate with the state government and assist it in implementing the state's various policies.

He expressed happiness to be able to collaborate with the Harapan federal government to achieve the MBPP's targets.

"An important feature of achieving these targets is also to ensure how we can harness local talents, which includes grooming the next Penang mayor and heads of departments," Yew said.