THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF HUNZA GROUP  

SPEECH BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW FOR THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF HUNZA GROUP

 

12 November 2023

SPICE Convention Centre

Good evening to all of you, and welcome to this celebratory occasion of Dato’ Seri Khor Teng Tong’s 82nd grand birthday here at SPICE Convention Centre, Penang! I want to thank Dato’ Seri Khor and Hunza Group for inviting me as the Guest of Honour for this special evening.

Let me take this opportunity to wish Dato’ Seri Khor Teng Tong a wonderful 82nd birthday, and may he be continuously blessed with good health for the life ahead of him! Dato’ Seri Khor himself is an inspirational figure in the property industry, and the humble story of his rise to prominence will be told in his self-published autobiography – Expressions of Life – of which each guest for this evening had been given a complimentary copy.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I have known Dato’ Seri Khor for over twenty years when I was still a newcomer in the political arena. We might have been players in different fields, but we were both toiling away quietly in those days.

I also want to take this chance to congratulate Hunza Properties Group, which was founded by Dato’ Seri Khor, on the occasion of its 45th anniversary in the property development industry. The Group has been continuously striving to elevate the quality of life in Penang through their various developments – and their slew of awards from both domestic and international bodies are solid testaments to that.

I fondly remember that five years ago in 2018, I was standing on the very same stage for Hunza Group’s 40th anniversary celebration, which was shortly after the groundbreaking ceremony of their Penang International Commercial City. Half a decade on, I am pleased to be here again as your Chief Minister to join all of you in celebrating Hunza Group’s 45th anniversary, and also after we broke the ground together for PICC’s Phase 2 earlier in June 2023.

Over the years since I have known Dato’ Seri Khor, I have witnessed how Hunza Group has grown from strength to strength under his leadership. The Hunza brand has established itself as one of the top, multi-award- winning property developers in the country, synonymous with high-quality homes in strategic locations. Even in the midst of all the success, Dato’ Seri Khor has never forgotten his humble beginnings and will always make it a point to contribute back to society – be it through Hunza Group or his charitable foundation.

As one of the key economic hubs in Malaysia – particularly with our strong manufacturing ecosystem and the vibrant services sectors – Penang is continuously attracting highly skilled talents from all around the country and the world. With the highest GDP growth rate in the country at 13.1%, one of the highest GDP per capita records in the country, and the State with the highest export value of more than RM463 billion in 2022. The latest figures released by DOSM show that Penang remains the country’s main exporter at 34.6 percent for the third quarter of 2023. Penang is truly a mover and shaker of Malaysia’s economy despite being its second smallest state.

The demand for high-quality housing will then play into the equation with the influx of talent, and we are pleased to have Hunza Properties Group’s continuous commitment to developing a significant number of residences over the next decade or so to support that growth. I am equally delighted with the collaborative effort between Hunza Group and the State through the Penang Housing Board to develop the latter’s first affordable homes project – The Millennia at Bukit Gedung – and also its first Urban Regeneration Project at Mahsuri.

We look forward to the exciting prospect of Hunza Group under the leadership of the current Group Managing Director – Dato’ Khor Siang Gin – in the coming future, particularly in their flagship development of PICC. Together with the forthcoming infrastructure developments by the State Government of Penang, including the much-awaited expansion of the Penang International Airport and the Tanjung Bungah – Bayan Lepas LRT, as well as the marquee development of Silicon Island, I am confident that we will be able to elevate Penang to greater heights that are unprecedented. Our alignment with the unity government under the leadership of Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim will further pave the way for more social and economic developments to be fostered towards our Penang2030 Vision of becoming “A Family-focused, Green, and Smart State that Inspires the Nation”.

I would like to congratulate Hunza Group once again for its four-and-a-half-decade of achievements in the industry and also convey my heartiest birthday wish to the man behind it all – Dato’ Seri Khor Teng Tong.

Thank you and have a great evening ahead.

 

各位嘉宾，

大家晚上好！感谢汇华集团邀请我出席今晚这个意义深重的宴会。我在此祝贺拿督斯里许廷忠，82岁生日快乐。

许廷忠是房地产行业的杰出人物，也是汇华集团主席。汇华集团创立至今已有45年，在提升槟城生活质量方面取得了巨大的成就。

过去20多年，我见证了汇华集团在许廷忠先生的领导下不断发展壮大。他们致力于高质量住宅项目，为槟城做出了卓越贡献。

槟城作为马来西亚经济的重要枢纽，我们欢迎来自全球的高技能人才。我很高兴看到汇华集团致力于在未来十年的发展，以支持槟州的增长。

汇华集团与槟州房屋委员会的合作，特别是在可负担房屋计划，以及城市更新计划方面，将为槟城的社会和经济发展提供更多机会。

展望未来，我期待汇华集团在许廷忠先生和现任集团董事经理拿督许祥人的带领下，继续取得卓越的成就。再加上槟城即将展开的各大基础设施发展，包括期待已久的槟州国际机场扩建、丹绒武雅往返峇六拜的轻快铁项目，以及矽谷岛的大型发展，我相信，我们将为槟城带来更多机遇。

最后，再次祝贺汇华集团45周年庆，许廷忠先生生日快乐！

谢谢大家，祝你们度过一个愉快的晚上。