PENANG BAY INTERNATIONAL IDEAS COMPETITION
SPEECH BY YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
PENANG BAY INTERNATIONAL IDEAS COMPETITION
15th AUGUST 2020, THINK CITY
YB. Jagdeep Singh
State EXCO for Local Government, Housing and Town and Country Planning Committee Chairman
YB. Dato’ Haji Abdul Halim bin Haji Hussain
State EXCO for Domestic & International Trade, Consumer Affairs & Entrepreneurship Development
YBhg. Dato’ Mohd Bazid bin Haji Abd Kahar
General Manager of Penang Development Corporation
YBhg. Dato Loo Lee Lian,
Chief Executive Officer of Invest Penang
Mr. Hamdan Abdul Majeed
Managing Director of Think City
Puan. Bharathi A/P Suppiah
Deputy General Manager of CMI
Distinguished guests,
Members of the media,
Ladies & Gentlemen
A very good afternoon. Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for being here on this momentous day for Penang as we launch the Penang Bay International Ideas Competition.
The Penang Bay International Ideas Competition is a gateway to untapped potential – to create a New Economic Zone in Penang, in line with the Penang2030 vision and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Penang Bay is the name we have chosen for a concept involving the waterfronts, both on the island and mainland facing the Strait of Penang, north of the 1st Penang Bridge. These areas have always existed as part of the landscape of our state but today it represents Opportunity. Opportunity for Penang’s growth, not just in strict economic or infrastructural terms, but also for the ease of living, happiness and longevity of the people.
The ideas competition ensures that, as we build Penang Bay together, we address some of the biggest challenges that cities face today. It is an invitation to the best innovative minds from Malaysia and around the world to help us find solutions and meet the needs and expectations of the people of Penang.
During our research for the Penang2030 guidelines, the people of Penang have spoken about their needs and expectations, which helped shape the four themes of Penang2030, namely liveability, economy, people and the built environment. As such, it is our aim that all these themes encompass the whole spectrum of Penang’s development in moving forward, and this includes Penang Bay.
The Penang2030 vision statement declares our objective to be ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’ and one of the key tenets for Penang2030 is to inspire and to make Penang a place that is even more enviable than it already is. That said, I believe that Penang Bay has the potential to be the envy of South East Asia and possibly beyond.
Penang Bay could be the fuel of the Penang2030 vision, but it has to be a shared vision that we can work towards, as a state. Together, we have to decide on how Penang Bay will come into fruition. What aspects of economy and industry it will take, how it will prepare itself for climate and global disasters such as Covid-19, how the people will make their livelihoods, and many more.
The ideas competition may generate concepts that we may embrace to shape Penang Bay, but its success requires your participation. Whether you are from the civil society, academia, from the public or private sectors, - the success of Penang Bay, and Penang2030 is our collective responsibility. It is also a way for you, particularly the people of Penang, to have a voice in the future of Penang that is to be built for the greater good of all.
And so in conclusion, I will say that I’m not just here to launch the Penang Bay International Ideas Competition, but also to invite you to join me and everyone here in our efforts to spearhead our journey towards achieving the Penang2030 vision. I believe that each and every one of you can make a difference.
Lastly, before ending my speech, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (GTCDC), Think City, MBSP and MBPP for this joint effort and I wish this competition a great success.
With that, I hereby with great pleasure launch the Penang Bay International Ideas Competition!
Thank you.