PENANG TRANSPORT FORUM 2019 UNLOCKING MOBILITY IN PENANG THROUGH RAIL

KEYNOTE SPEECH BY HONOURABLE CHOW KON YEOW

CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG

FOR

PENANG TRANSPORT FORUM 2019

UNLOCKING MOBILITY IN PENANG THROUGH RAIL

15 OCTOBER 2019 | THE WEMBLEY HOTEL PENANG

 

 

 

Ladies and gentlemen.

I would like to congratulate and thank the organizers, the High Commission of Canada for organizing the Penang Transport Forum 2019 – Unlocking Mobility in Penang Through Rail.

Penang is gearing up for Penang2030 with the vision of becoming a Family-Focused, Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation. In this vision, there are four (4) main themes; the fourth being investing in the built environment to improve resilience. This is important for the development of a holistic transport network.

The Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) is a long-term plan which is aimed at addressing two main concerns affecting Penang. The main concern is traffic congestion due to inadequate infrastructure and transportation network. The other is the lack of quality land for development to meet industrial and commercial expansion that is necessary to cater for the growing population on the island as well as the mainland. Both these issues combined hamper the economic progress in Penang.

 The sustainable development of a state or a country depends very much on systematic and realistic planning. It has a huge impact on the economic growth, liveability and sustainability of a city. Such planning should not be focusing only on being economically expedient and faster, but more importantly, the plans must be reliable, sustainable and feasible for the long-term development of the city. The State Government has taken a serious approach in addressing this problem and initiated a long-term solution since 2011.  PTMP is seen as a transformative transportation development master plan that can address the challenges we are currently facing and can help in striking an economic and social balance for the State Government, especially in addressing the problems of traffic congestion. With the efforts and initiatives of the State Government to develop the Penang State transport network, what we hope to achieve in time to come is the inclusive growth and the narrowing of the socio-economic gap between the north and south - so that future generations of Penang - our children, our grandchildren and our great-great-great-grandchildren will be able to enjoy brighter business prospects for the betterment of their lives. The development of a holistic transport network is a major step which needs to be taken to transform the state of Penang into a modern and smart state; one that is capable of providing desired economic returns in the form of higher income and a better quality of life for her citizens. Furthermore, with the rapid advancement of technology in the global arena, Penang will be marginalized and excluded in the modernization cycle if we do not act proactively by creating an integrated environment with IT-intensive modes and well-developed facilities. The state of Penang has recorded the highest per capita growth in Malaysia for the past few years. It currently has also managed to preserve its heritage legacy. Although we have a superior industrial hub with a well-developed ecosystem and a competitive business environment, we still face challenges which are detrimental to our continued economic and social developments due to critical scarcity of land at strategic locations for sustainable development in the long run. Apart from the PTMP, the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) is a State Government project that is seen as a Penang Economic Transformation project with the aim of creating a robust international service and manufacturing hub. With a proposed 4,500 acres of reclaimed land, the State Government can then provide quality affordable homes at strategic locations linked by LRT, trams and highways. This comprehensive master plan can attract foreign investors and spur Penang's dynamism further. This reclamation will be owned by the State Government and is projected to turn the tables on the issue of land scarcity. We believe that the future of Penang lies with these mega projects - the PTMP and the PSR. They are a springboard for Penang’s highly competitive growth towards gaining international stature as an Intelligent State in the coming decades. I hope the delegates especially those from outside Penang will take this opportunity to enjoy our natural attractions as well as savour our well-known, unique and delicious food. I wish you all a productive forum and that the information gathered and exchanged here will be beneficial to everyone. Thank you.