THE ANNOUNCEMENT CEREMONY OF THE PENANG SOUTH ISLAND (PSI) MASTERPLAN DESIGNER
WELCOMING REMARKS BY THE PENANG CHIEF MINISTER
AT THE ANNOUNCEMENT CEREMONY OF THE PENANG SOUTH ISLAND (PSI) MASTERPLAN DESIGNER
19 August 2020
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YB Dato' Ir. Haji Ahmad Zakiyuddin bin Abdul Rahman
Penang Deputy Chief Minister (I)
YB Professor Dr. P. Ramasamy
Penang Deputy Chief Minister (II)
YB Dato’ Abdul Razak bin Jaafar
Penang State Secretary
YB Dato’ Sarul Bahiyah binti Haji Abu
State Financial Officer
YB Dato’ Norazmi bin Mohd Narawi
State Legal Advisor
Members of the State Executive Council and State Legislative Assembly
Penang Members of Parliament
Dato’ Seri Farizan Darus
Chief Executive Officer of the Penang Infrastructure Corporation
Yang Berbahagia Dato’ Lin Yun Ling
Group Managing Director of Gamuda Berhad
Mr Szeto Wai Loong
Project Director of SRS Consortium
Tan Sri Dato' Sri Ar. Hj Esa Hj Mohamed
Master Jury Panel of the International Masterplan Design Competition
Ar. Ang Chee Cheong
Competition Advisor of the International Masterplan Design Competition
Heads of Departments
Captains of Industry
Friends from the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good evening and welcome to the Penang South Island’s (PSI) International Masterplan Design Competition Announcement Ceremony which marks another milestone in our journey to transform the future of Penang.
PSI or Penang South Reclamation, the name of this project outside the Masterplan Design Competition, is the game changer for Penang that will help us realise our Penang2030 vision to build a family-focused green and smart state that inspires the nation.
In 2018, the Penang State Government launched Penang2030 – a four-pronged approach to boost the state’s flagging economic engines. This initiative aims to enhance our quality of life, create new economic opportunities, empower the people and to sustain our environment. Central to that is a three-island development plan which has vast potential to send positive ripples through the nation’s economy in the coming years.
PSI embodies the vital social and economic goals at the heart of Penang2030. Measuring 4,500 acres of state-owned land, this project will involve three islands that comprise an advanced new ecosystem and serve as a model for the future of work and liveability in Malaysia.
As a key strategic initiative by the state government, PSI will trigger a paradigm shift for the industry, specifically in the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector, healthcare and digital technology, as well as Global Business Services (GBS); deliver economic multiplier benefits; safeguard the wellbeing of the economy for the years to come; and create thousands of jobs for the people.
PSI will provide a sizeable land allocation for a Smart Industrial Park, which will incorporate features that are critical to the adoption of Industry 4.0. With world-class infrastructure and smart city features, the integrated and seamless ecosystem with planned amenities such as R&D labs, industry-led centres of excellence, training academies and co-working spaces will address the needs of the industry.
This catalytic development will be home to the next generation of industry and future technologies in artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), autonomous vehicles, health tech, robotics, and many more, which have begun to change the way we live today.
How we do business will no longer be the same. The global supply chain ecosystem has been severely disrupted by the on-going trade tension. The current COVID-19 pandemic further adds to the urgency for many companies to look into de-risking strategies to reduce over-reliance on a single source supply chain and explore alternative manufacturing bases.
A preferred location for E&E and semiconductor companies for decades, Penang must capitalize on this opportunity to push the industry into the next wave of growth. Penang must adapt to these new challenges, opportunities and ever-changing trends to stay competitive and not fall behind. All of these can be done through PSI.
Ladies and gentlemen,
A new state-of-the-art township will be meaningless without people. PSI will provide space for communities, including the local fishermen, and amenities that cater to the lifestyle requirements of young professionals and Penangites in general.
On the lifestyle front, PSI will deliver 20,000 new homes including affordable ones, mixed-used residential and landed residential units. Future residents will enjoy over 13 kilometres of public beaches, 140 acres of coastal parks, 12 kilometres of cycling tracks and plenty of open green spaces.
PSI will also be a pull factor for a new wave of tourists to Penang, which is already one of Malaysia’s top tourist destinations, with our idyllic waterfront area dubbed “Heart of the Island”. The main draw with its public square, retail walk, convention centre and Instagram-worthy views will offer a vibrant mix of entertainment and lifestyle options that rival those in popular high streets around the world.
Smart city components including digital connectivity and energy management will future-proof infrastructure across the islands, while eco-conscious development will ensure a sustainable environment that takes the challenges of climate change into account. PSI will be designed to ESG (environmental, social and governance) green standards and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and at the same time, planned to address environmental challenges and climate change.
There will be a robust integrated transit system that will make it easy for residents and tourists to commute throughout PSI. The system will include highway, light rail transit (LRT), trams and water taxi services. Walkability and bike-ability also make personal mobility a great option for thoughtful connectivity.
As you know, the state government has been absorbed in working towards keeping Penang clean, green, safe and liveable. To achieve this goal, we have invested in many efforts and approaches through welfare, education, economic development, business and trade, housing, and social harmony.
PSI will, without a doubt, play a crucial role in these efforts. Through this project, we hope Penang will have the means to scale greater heights. The sale and development of the three islands will fund Penang’s ambition to build new roads and the state’s first LRT line under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) to solve the worsening traffic congestion problem.
With all of these in mind, in November 2019, the Penang State Government and the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) Northern Chapter under the auspices of the Board of Architects Malaysia (LAM) launched the Penang South Islands International Masterplan Design Competition (MDC), an urban design competition to gather ideas from world leading architects and town planners for the three islands in the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.
The MDC received an overwhelming global response with 124 submissions from 26 countries. In January 2020, five (5) teams were shortlisted and today, we will unveil the winner that will be appointed as the masterplan designer to realize our vision for this ambitious development.
With the participation of such renowned pool of professionals, I can only imagine that the selection process must have been extremely interesting and challenging. I wish to express the State’s highest appreciation to all the finalists and to the panel of judges, made up of prominent Malaysians and international experts in their respective fields, and led by Yang Bahagia Tan Sri Ar. Esa Mohamed. Their fine contribution in the deliberation of the submissions and in selecting the winning design that aligned with the end goal of Penang2030 have brought us a step closer in fulfilling our aspiration for this exciting project.
As we take this leap of faith into exciting times, I would like to reiterate that we stand committed in advancing this project to achieve its aspiration to build a better Penang for our future generations. In pursuing this ambition, the state government will also abide by all the requirements set by federal approving agencies in implementing this project. As at to date, the State Government had received approvals on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from the Department of Environment (DOE), Social Impact Assessment (SIA) from Plan Malaysia including the advice from the National Physical Planning Council (NPPC) to proceed with the reclamation. The Penang State Government will strictly abide by all the conditions stipulated in the approval given.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have faced many challenges to arrive at this crucial moment. We may face more trials as we move forward but we want to look ahead positively and take challenges in our stride. Obstacles, no matter how challenging, can also lead us to new beginnings.
Last but not least, to everyone who is with us in this journey, the state government greatly appreciates your presence which will only serve to motivate and inspire us. Let us work together and do our best for Penang.