GEORGE TOWN, Aug 3 — In the first year of his appointment as the Penang chief minister, Chow Kon Yeow was known as Mr Nice Guy, and four years later, he continues to command respect from Penangites as a humble and capable leader.

Crowds could be seen gathering to take turns and shake hands with Chow during his walkabout sessions in various locations in the state as state elections campaigning go into full swing.

Some of them excitedly took out their cellphones and asked for selfies with Chow while some took videos of him as he walked around, accompanied by his team members.

"Chow has done a lot for Penang, he has brought balanced development to the state,” said a Penangite Nurhafiza Huda Idris.

The 35-year-old councillor said Chow is especially known for holding engagement sessions to include the views of stakeholders and communities in any projects.

"He always went around to meet the people too,” she said.

She said those in the Malay community also held high regards for Chow as he has also done a lot for the Malays and Muslim communities.

"He may be quiet but he is hardworking and a visionary,” she said.

Chow has done really well in leading the state through the Covid-19 pandemic, according to another Penangite, Shahreazal Rashid.

He said Penang is what it is today thanks to Chow's capable leadership in continuing to bring in investments and planned developments for the state.

"He is implementing the LRT and soon, the cable cars for Penang Hill, these are good projects for the state,” he said.

He is confident that Chow will be retained as the Penang chief minister this state elections and that he will be able to lead Penang to greater heights.

Several mega projects planned by the state government were already approved and some have already kicked off under Chow's leadership since 2018.

Works on the RM851 million Package Two highway that cut through Bukit Hijau to Lebuhraya Thean Teik started in earnest early this year.

The 6km highway linking Air Itam to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway is still in the midst of construction and is expected to complete in 2025.

The long-delayed Penang International Airport expansion plans are expected to kick off next year after it was approved by the federal government.

The RM1.2 billion expansion plan, to be fully funded by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, will take about four years to complete and will be able to cater to 12 million passengers annually upon completion.

Other projects in the pipeline included the Penang Hill Cable Car project which will start next year and the Gurney Bay project which is expected to open in phases this year.

According to Chow, if he is given the mandate to be chief minister for the second term, he will continue to push through projects planned under Penang2030.

"Apart from these infrastructure projects, we will also focus on other aspects of social development,” he said.

He said it is important to strike a balance between infrastructure development and social development, with a focus on the state's social and welfare plans to protect the wellbeing of the people.

"We want to create more policies to become an inclusive society and to cater to an ageing society,” he said.

Another focus that Chow wants to look at is the happiness index in the state and to keep it high.

A recent survey by Penang Institute revealed the Happiness in Penang (HIP) Index is estimated at 0.881.

The index indicated that 76.5 per cent of Penangites are considered happy while the remaining 23.5 per cent are identified as "not-yet-happy”.

The Penang state election will be on August 12 and is held concurrently with Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

Early voting is on August 8.