FLAG OFF CEREMONY OF OCCUPY BEACH STREET CHINESE NEW YEAR RUN 2023
SPEECH BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW FLAG OFF CEREMONY OF OCCUPY BEACH STREET CHINESE NEW YEAR RUN 2023
15 January 2023
Beach Street
YB Puan Lim Hui Ying
Deputy Minister of Education
YB Soon Lip Chee
Penang State EXCO for Youth & Sports
YB Teh Lai Heng
ADUN Komtar & Political Secretary to the Chief Minister
YB Daniel Gooi Zi Sen
ADUN Pengkalan Kota
YB Lim Siew Khim
ADUN Sungai Pinang
YB Joseph Ng Soon Siang
ADUN Air Itam
MBPP Councillors
Mr Jack Wong
Managing Director of TLM Event
Mr Wong Kee Wei
Chief Executive Officer of Safetyware Group
All participants and Media Friends
A very good morning, and welcome to the 3rd edition of the Occupy Beach Street (OBS) Chinese New Year Run, which has made a triumphant return after a two-year break. I want to convey my congratulations to the organiser for having successfully gathered 2,500 participants for this event. It is inspiring to see so many people here today, and I am especially delighted to see the passion the participants have for a sporting and active lifestyle. In fact, this is already the fourth sporting event over the weekend since we stepped into 2023.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Penang is the perfect example of diversity functioning well. It is a state where we are united in our differences and we value social harmony. Everywhere you go in Penang, you can see diverse places of worship, where mosques, temples, and churches are nearby to one another. To me, the proximity of these different places of worship is a testament to how close we are to one another, regardless of cultural diversity.
Penang is also a state that celebrates cultural celebrations all year round. Chinese New Year is one of the most joyful seasons of the year and also a time for gathering and appreciating one another. In line with the Penang2030 Vision of building ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’ and our LOVEPenang campaign last year in which the state government together with NGOs organised sports competitions to heal our community in the post-pandemic era, the OBS Chinese New Year Run 2023 offers family members and the community the opportunity to be united in our love for Penang, soak up the festive atmosphere and spend quality time together while embracing an active lifestyle.
To further support the Penang2030 Vision, the fun run also features a unique yet exciting line-up that focuses on family-centric activities which are ideal for all ages in a bid to bring families together, from the little ones to the senior members of the community. You will soon discover that there will be a joyous mix of Chinese New Year-themed performance to bring cheer to participants.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to see all of you today for turning up bright and early to show your love for Penang. As a famous African proverb says, “If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together.” On that note, let us all run together and be the embodiment of what the occasion is all about: making time to be with our families, friends, and communities, and to acknowledge and celebrate our differences, and to be united for the love of our state, Penang.
Thank you.