CHAP GOH MEH CELEBRATION 2018

Speech of Chief Minister of Penang
Chap Goh Meh Celebration

Esplanade, 2 March 2018

Terlebih dahulu saya ingin mengucapkan selamat datang ke Perayaan Chap Goh Meh 2018 ataupun juga dikenali sebagai Hari Kekasih dalam takwim kaum Cina.

Ladies and gentlemen,

For your information, the tradition of throwing tangerines in the sea during Chap Goh Meh is one of the many unique cultural celebrations in Penang. It is celebrated not only by the Chinese but also different races and foreign tourists.

Thank you to the Penang Chinese Chambers of Commerce for again sponsoring the extravagant fireworks which will be displayed later in the night. There will also be various exciting cultural performances that highlights the colorful mosaic of Penang's multicultural society.

This year's Chinese New Year I am delighted to see many local and foreign tourists enjoying and celebration the array of programs and events organized by the State Government such as Snake Temple Celebration, Miao Hui, Penang State Chinese New Year Open house and many more.

Penang is fast becoming a model city of cultural heritage and one of the top tourism destinations in Malaysia.

When we took over the state government of Penang 10 years ago, we said there are three main problems in Penang that we want to solve, cleanliness, public safety and traffic congestion.

For decades ago, Penang was known as Pearl of The Orient but it then became Pulau Pinang Darul Sampah, a state associated with rubbish and garbage everywhere. But today it is shining again as the Pearl of the Orient and it is among the cleanest cities in Malaysia. Last month, ASEAN has declared George Town as a “clean city”. This come after Penang City Council has fulfilled the basic criterias set by ASEAN Clean Tourist Standard 2017 (ACTC). Penang also recorded the highest recycling rate in the country at 38%, way above the national recycling rate of 21%.

Before I end my speech, I would like to take this opportunity to invite everyone to the “Sambutan 10 Tahun Kerajaan Pakatan Pulau Pinang” which will be held on 11 Mac 2018 here in the Esplanade.

I hope all of you will enjoy this unique cultural celebration and the performances tonight.