GEORGE TOWN, April 8 — The Penang government is gathering feedback from all state departments before implementing a work-from-home (WFH) policy for civil servants, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

He said the state executive council has discussed initial guidelines and instructed the state secretary (SUK) to gather feedback from each department on their operational needs.

“We have received the guidelines and the exco has discussed them,” he said in a press conference a ceremony to distribute financial aid to Tamil schools in the state in Komtar today.

“We have instructed the SUK to get feedback from every department on their requirements before we look at how it can be implemented,” he said.

Chow added that the state has yet to determine how many civil servants would be affected as it would depend on the feedback from the departments.

“We are not certain yet how many public servants are involved,” he said.

He said the current guidelines are focused on the state capital and this involved 21 departments.

He said Penang has provided subsidised transportation for civil servants commuting to the state administrative centre in Komtar for many years.

“There are seven buses operating at subsidised rates from Seberang Jaya, Jawi and Balik Pulau to Komtar,” he said.

Under the scheme, civil servants pay RM150 monthly while the state government covers the remaining cost.

Chow added that some workers also utilise free bus services from Bukit Mertajam to Komtar.

He said there are also similar initiatives for the private sector, including long-running free bus services linking Seberang Prai and Bayan Lepas.

“We will decide on how to implement work from home based on the feedback we get,” he said.

When asked if Penang would follow the federal government’s planned rollout of WFH measures on April 15, Chow said the state would make a decision only after reviewing all relevant data.

“We will deliberate after we receive all the information,” he said.

Earlier, Chow presented an allocation of RM2.42 million to Tamil schools in the state for 2026.

He said the allocation is to assist the schools to upgrade their facilities and infrastructure while focusing on STEM education for Tamil school students. 

“We need to strengthen education in order to continuously develop a knowledge-based society,” he said.