INTERVIEW | Newly-appointed Penang Port Commission chairperson Jeffrey Chew Gim Ean is on a mission to "unlock the potential" of his newfound baby.

After years of dispute with the port’s development affected by conflicts between the state and federal governments, transformation is key for the port to return to its glory days, he said.

Many Penangites are still unhappy that the state lost its free port status in 1967 – during which the island’s per capita income dropped to as low as 12 percent below the national average while unemployment rose to 16 percent.