SPEECH BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW FOR THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE KEK LOK SI CHARITABLE HOSPITAL
YB Dato' Dr Haji Noor Azmi bin Ghazali
Deputy Health Minister I
And representative of Health Minister YB Tuan Khairy Jamaluddin
Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Liow Tiong Lai
Chairman of the Tunku Abdul Rahman University College Board of Governors
H.E. Mr Lu Shiwei
Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Penang
Yang Berbahagia Venerable Jit Heng
Chairman of the Board of Directors for Yayasan Kek Lok Si
Yang Berusaha Dato’ Seri Steven Ooi
Board Member of the Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital
Yang Berbahagia Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan
Board Member and Medical Suprintendent of Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital
Distinguished Guests, Media Friends
各位护法、善信，以及媒体的朋友们，大家好！
A very good morning to all of you.
I am very pleased to be here today for this very meaningful occasion which is the official opening of the Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital. My last visit here was in April this year at the invitation of the Board to view the progress and the conditions of the state-of-the-art equipment in the hospital.
I have to say that the Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital is truly impressive. It is impressive because, despite its size and a mere capacity for 50 beds, it has 7 resident consultants, 2 medical officers, 2 sessional consultants and one visiting consultant which make up the total 130 staff members of this hospital. The medical facilities are on par with any other private hospitals in Penang and your fees will be the lowest in the state.
The Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital is certainly not an easy project to be realised. As we all know, to build and to run a hospital with its various advanced medical equipment, professional medical team and well-trained personnel will incur huge expenses. One can imagine the amount of effort, manpower and the perseverance needed to see to the final physical completion of the hospital as well as its current operational stage.
While it is true that the Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital is not yet able to provide totally free treatment, to the needy patients who face difficulties in paying their medical bills, the hospital is already of great help.
The rank and file of the Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital have persevered despite the health and economic challenges from Covid-19 to enable the smooth day-to-day running of the hospital. This compassionate spirit of equal relief to the sufferings of all living beings should be shared by everyone regardless of religious affiliation.
I sincerely applaud the dedication of the Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital rank & file, the hospital board members and those of you who contributed through the Kek Lok Si Charity Foundation. In April this year, I pledged RM200,000.00 to the Kek Lok Si Charitable Hospital. Right now, I am happy to announce that the Penang State Government will give out the same amount of RM200,000.00 to the hospital through the Kek Lok Si Charity Foundation in 2022.
Lastly, I also wish to congratulate Kek Lok Si Temple for your 130th anniversary. This is a day worthy to be celebrated as it not only marks the completion of Kek Lok Si Temple back in 1891 but, at the same time, it highlights a significant medical contribution by the temple to all Malaysians in the form of this charitable hospital.
Thank you.
各位，槟州政府的槟城2030愿景，将致力维持社区内的宗教和谐，让人民在互相尊重的前提之下，自由进行合法的各种宗教活动。
作为国内最古老的佛教寺院之一，极乐寺在漫长的130年里为社会做出不少贡献，特别是刚完成建设，并且已经投入服务的极乐寺慈善医院。
尽管全国都受到新冠肺炎疫情的困扰，经济等方面因此受到影响，但是极乐寺和医院的全体工作人员依然能够同心协力、排除众难，成功成立慈善医院，给赤贫的病黎提供非常完善的医疗服务。
这真正是平等救济众生的慈悲精神，是各个宗教团体应该共同看齐的。
在此衷心感谢极乐寺丶慈善医院以及极乐寺慈善基金会全体人员的付出。也祝贺极乐寺130周年纪念，以及极乐寺慈善医院成功开幕。
谢谢！