THE LAUNCHING OF THE PATH OF PENANG HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA 2019
SPEECH BY CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
AT THE LAUNCHING OF THE PATH OF PENANG HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA 2019
30th Dec 2018 (8.30pm)
Butterworth Art Walk
A very good evening to all of you.
First of all, thank you for being present here for the official launching of The Path of Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2019.
I am pleased to see these works of art by so many young kids who have put in so much effort in creating this magnificent display. It is a great honour for me to grace this event especially when the community participates and takes pride of their involvement. The Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta for the past years has been organised especially for the public, where it is funded by the Penang State Government. It is just one of the many events and programmes organised where locals especially can come and enjoy. And as most of you are aware, not only are these events and programmes undertaken on the island, but also on the mainland.
Gone are the days when the island and mainland of Penang seemed two separate places. Look how well we are connected now. Two bridges, the ferry service and now an integrated transportation hub. Penang Sentral caters to about 4,000 commuters a day. Its facilities include ticketing counters, convenient stores and F&B outlets. A bridge on its second floor connects the hub to the Pengkalan Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal and a link-way to the KTM Train Station. This integrated hub for bus, rail, taxi and sea transportation services, with a land area over 9ha is a RM2.9 billion project modelled after KL Sentral. Future phases of the project include commercial, retail, office as well as residential developments. With stronger connectivity to the mainland, we can progressively expect a better flow of tourists over to this side.
Up till October this year, passenger arrivals to the Penang International Airport (PIA) show a 15% increase compared to last year. In fact, since the start of 2018, there has been a double digit growth of passenger arrivals every month to PIA. To facilitate this increasing traffic flow, PIA will undergo terminal optimisation works in due course as Malaysia Airports is now in the midst of preparing tenders to appoint contractors where it involves the relocation of airline ticket counters plus increasing of check-in and Immigration counters. For now, PIA is looking into implementing short-term measures to reduce congestion in the airport, especially during peak hours.
Whilst plans to upgrade PIA are underway, a joint venture to expand the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal between Penang Port and Royal Caribbean Cruises was sealed recently with a total investment of RM155 million. The redevelopment plans of the Cruise Terminal are expected to take a year to complete. It will include extending the existing berth to 660m from the current 400m, enabling the terminal to berth two of RCCL’s new mega cruise vessels at the same time that carry over 4,900 passengers. Furthermore, there will also be improvements undertaken to the terminal which will allow it to handle 12,000 passengers at any given time.
Ladies & gentlemen,
I have said this before, the ‘mainland holds the future of Penang’. Since the development on the island has been stretched, limiting its spaces, the State will be working to make Seberang Prai more livable. Right now, the focus is on Batu Kawan where massive development is already taking place. A 10.12ha plot here is currently under the development of Aspen Group and IKEA Southeast Asia and yes, IKEA will be opening soon, in March next year. The mega-scaled mixed development projects in Batu Kawan are indeed bringing progress and job opportunities to Seberang Perai.
Early this month, I was proud to officiate the opening of Vangohh Eminent, the first 5-star hotel in Bukit Mertajam. It will add on to the number of hotels that are doing rather well in the mainland. The hotels in Seberang Perai have been experiencing a 5% increase in occupancy progressively every year since 2015.
Without further ado, I wish to end my speech here by thanking the organising team of the Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2019 - AKA Balloons Sdn Bhd, together with the support of the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) and Penang Global Tourism. I wish you all a successful event and I look forward to being there as well.
Thank you and good night.