THE PROCLAMATION CEREMONY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT REVAMP OF SKY RESIDENCE PRAI BY THE ASCOTT TO CITADINES PRAI PENANG
SPEECH BY YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW
THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
THE PROCLAMATION CEREMONY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT REVAMP OF SKY RESIDENCE PRAI BY THE ASCOTT TO CITADINES PRAI PENANG
4th MAY 2023
YB Chong Eng
Penang State EXCO for Social Development and Non-Islamic Religious Affairs
YB Yeoh Soon Hin
Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy
YB Soon Lip Chee
Penang State EXCO for Youth and Sports
YB Gooi Hsiao Leung
State Assemblyman for Bukit Tengah
YB Heng Lee Lee
State Assemblyman for Berapit
Mr Jonathan Freddy P. Bagang
Director of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC), Penang Office
Mr Shahrul Aman Sabir Ahmad
Director of Tourism Malaysia Penang
Mr Ng Kock Leong
Managing Director of Exopuri Group of Companies
Mr Mondi Mecja
Country General Manager of Ascott Group
Distinguished guests,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen,
A very good morning to all.
It is an honour for me to be here with all of you today for the proclamation ceremony of Citadines Prai Penang. This new establishment, formerly known as Sky Residence Prai by The Ascott, indeed represents a significant milestone in the development of our state's economy and tourism industry.
Before I proceed further, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Exopuri Group of Companies and Ascott Malaysia for their successful collaboration in bringing this project to fruition, making it the first serviced residence to open on the mainland since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr. Ng Kock Leong and his team, as well as their business partners, are truly visionaries and have demonstrated outstanding business acumen. Their commitment to making a difference is admirable, and I am pleased that their efforts will have far-reaching economic ripples that will spur the growth of not only Juru, but also Seberang Perai and Penang as a whole.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The administration of the State Government has always paid special attention to achieving a balanced development for both the island and Seberang Perai. Since 2018, we have intensified our efforts towards this goal, as evidenced by the gazetting of the Penang Structure Plan 2030 (RSNPP 2030) on October 24th, 2019.
The state agencies such as the Penang Development Corporation, Invest Penang and many others are actively implementing strategic plans for the growth of new development areas, especially in Seberang Perai, based on the ‘Green and Smart City’ concept and increase in asset value.
Through such efforts, we are glad to see that in addition to the already-established industrial areas of Bukit Minyak, Valdor, Mak Mandin, and others, the Batu Kawan industrial area has now emerged as a world-renowned electrical and electronics (E&E) technology hub.
On top of that, a notable development is the collaboration between Ideal Property Group and the State Government to establish the Penang Technology Park at Bertam, which coincides with the state's initiative to promote tripartite Public-Private-People partnership strategies to accelerate the state's development.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have emphasized on many occasions that the future of Penang lies in Seberang Perai, and if we aim high and look far enough, we will discover that Seberang Perai also has a plethora of opportunities for economic growth and income generation in terms of tourism and long-term stays.
This is especially true given our booming economy and the high demand for foreign experts in the surrounding Industrial Areas of Seberang Perai, as well as Penang's significant increase in international arrivals since the re-opening of borders on April 1st, 2022.
In fact, between January to December 2021 and January to December 2022, Penang experienced an astounding increase of 8,444.54 percent in international arrivals and a 773.5 percent increase in domestic arrivals at the Penang International Airport (PIA). We also saw an increase in the number of passenger movements in PIA, which rose by 680.65 percent from 543,519 people in 2021 to 4,242,997 people in 2022.
Accordingly, the State Government has been spearheading promotional efforts such as “The Opposite Side of the Island - Seberang Perai” campaign to popularise Seberang Perai’s unknown and hidden beauties. It is in line with the Penang Tourism Master Plan, which integrates the new National Tourism Policy (2020 – 2030) and the state’s Penang2030 vision of ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation.’
This is to showcase that Penang has a variety of events and activities to be embraced beyond the island itself, with the goal of bridging the gap between Penang Island and Mainland in terms of tourism development. These efforts are aimed at diversifying our tourism offerings to appeal to a wider range of tourists, eventually securing them for longer and returning visits.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As the chief minister of Penang and the member of Parliament of Batu Kawan, I must say that I am pleased to see that Seberang Perai is making good progress in this new area of growth, with numerous tourism, industrial, residential and commercial projects underway.
It is my sincere hope that, through the various initiatives of the State Government in collaboration with the private sector, we can continue to capitalize on the opportunities available and spearhead the development of Seberang Perai as the new destination of choice for people to live, work and visit.
In this regard, I am pleased to see that Citadines Prai Penang, with its brand name of international stature and a proven record of reliability with world class facilities to meet the needs of local and foreign tourists, corporates, as well as the key players of the different industries, will further propel us to our goal and set a new benchmark for tourism products offered by Penang.
With that said, I once again congratulate Exopuri Group of Companies and Ascott Malaysia for today’s revamp ceremony, which I strongly believe is not only highly anticipated by the 300 employees who were offered jobs in your establishment but also the residents of Seberang Perai.
I wish you every success in your future endeavours. Thank you.