The governor, in the opening of the 14th state assembly session today, also reminded members to engage in civil and healthy debates to uphold the image of the assembly.
“In any debate, there are bound to be differences. Celebrate the differences by engaging in smart, intelligent debates, while staying civil in your speech.
“This is to ensure that the nobility of this house is preserved, respected and looked highly upon,” Rahman said in his opening remarks.
He also congratulated Pakatan Harapan (PH) on winning the May 9 polls, saying Penang had finally shed the “opposition state title”.
Rahman said the win marked a synergy between the state and federal governments, allowing the state’s representatives to work more easily with Putrajaya.
“The cooperation can already be seen with the federal government choosing Penang as a starting point for the National Day celebrations at Padang Kota Lama tomorrow, with the prime minister present,” he added.
Rahman said while Penang assembly members were happy with their win in the recent polls, they should not be resting on their laurels.
Instead, he said, all members should be working to ensure that Penang becomes a talent hub for the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) industries.
Rahman also envisioned the state one day becoming the Silicon Valley, Tsukuba (Japan), and Suwon (Korea) of Malaysia.
“The tourism sector also ought to be improved, although it has been the mainstay of our economy all these years. I hope you do not rest on your laurels thinking you have already done well. You must work harder in the next five years,” he said.
Rahman also said urgent attention was required to ensure sustainable development to protect the environment for future generations.
He also hoped that more RM42,000 affordable homes would be made available to the low- and middle-income group.
“In conclusion, it is my hope to see all the elected reps put your efforts into better planning in the state, whether physical or not. It is time for the state to be people-centric.”
The state assembly has been adjourned for debates on Monday.