GEORGE TOWN: Penang will see 15 fresh faces in the councillor line-up for both the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) and Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) next year.
A total of 24 councillors will be sworn in under MBPP and MBSP, respectively, on Jan 2, 2026.
Penang Local Government Committee chairman Jason H’ng said that 31.25% of the lineup will be new, with 33 returning councillors from 2025.
"Out of the 15, there will be seven new faces in MBPP and eight in MBSP.
"In MBPP, the seven new councillors are two from DAP and five from PKR.
"MBSP will see three new DAP appointees, three from PKR, one from Barisan Nasional and one from a non-governmental organisation (NGO)," he said during the press conference to announce the 2026 councillor line-up at Komtar on Saturday (Dec 20).
The 2026 MBPP councillor line-up will see 10 from DAP, with returning councillors Alan Lim, Lee Wei Seang, Koay Gaik Kee, Lee Seng Hwai, T. Visvenathan, Rohaizat Hamid, Tan Soo Siang, and Theng Jie Wey as well as newbies K. Deenadayalan and Foo Yu Keong.
There will be eight from PKR, with returning councillors Ooi Mei Mei, Dr Mohd Suhairi Arumugam Abdullah and Chan Soon Aun, with newbies Mohd Aidil Fitri Ibrahim, Muhammad Adzlan Adzhar, Tan May Peng, S. Manimaran and Muhamad Nayim Othuman Mydin.
All four councillors under Amanah in 2025, Zuraida Mohamad Arshad, Muhamad Khairul Mohd Ali, Mohamad Yusoff Mohd Noor and Mohamad Khairani Abdul Shukor will return to serve in 2026.
Datuk Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman from Barisan Nasional and David Chen from a local NGO will continue their service as councillors in 2026 as well.
On the mainland, MBSP will have 10 appointees from DAP with returning councillors Derick Chong, Heng Yeh Shiuan, C. Linggeswaran, Ngoh Cheng Hai, Ooi Yong Wooi, V. Ponnudurai and Teh Chuann Yien.
Joining them are newbies Linda Ng, Tan Chee Teong and K. Yoganraj Thever.
There will be nine from PKR, with Zainuddin Mohamed, Lim Eng Nam, Zulkifli Md Yusop, K. Predeeb Kumar, Lim Chee Chien and Yeoh Kim Kim returning as councillors.
Joining them are newbies Hasrul Husin, Ahmad Rizal Abd Hamid and Anuar Yussoff.
The two reappointed councillors from Amanah are Muhamad Suzuki Ahmad and Zulkiply Ishak.
Returning Barisan Nasional councillor Datuk Mohd Noor Ahmad is newbie Datuk Mohd Zaidi Said.
Rounding up the MBSP line-up is newbie Chang Kim Joo under the NGO category.
The councillors will serve from Jan 1 to Dec 31 next year.
The swearing-in ceremonies will be held on Jan 2, with MBSP's held at 9am at Dewan Kenanga, Menara Bandaraya on the mainland and MBPP's at 3pm at City Hall in Jalan Padang Kota Lama here.
