GREATECH’S GIVING DAY

SPEECH BY CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG

AT GREATECH’S GIVING DAY

29 August 2020

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YB Dr. Ramasamy a/l Palanisamy

Deputy Chief Minister (II) of Penang

Mr Tan Eng Kee

CEO of Greatech (also the Executive Director)

Mr Khor Lean Heng

COO of Greatech (also the Executive Director)

Distinguished guests

Member of the media

Ladies and gentlemen

A very good morning to all of you.

I am honoured to be invited to grace this meaningful occasion organized by Greatech in conjunction with their Giving Day themed "Together We Give".

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. The unprecedented crisis brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak has affected us in many ways, regardless of our positions in life. People suddenly found themselves robbed of their livelihoods, leaving many despaired by an uncertain future. With a declining global economy and countries grappling with disrupted global supply chains and dampened demands, the marginalized groups are side-lined even further. This situation is very worrying, given that many non-profit organizations have had to end or reduce their operations due to lack of public funding.

Concerned that no one should be left behind, the Penang State Government has implemented substantial aid programmes since the start of the Movement Control Order (MCO). With an initial allocation of RM151 million through the Penang People's Aid Packages 1.0 and 2.0, the assistance package was designed based on the following goals -

FIRST, to provide immediate assistance to the most affected.

SECOND, to enable workers to stand up again and continue their efforts to take care of themselves, their families and develop the state through productivity.

THIRD, to enable business continuity and ensure the state economy continues to be developed post-MCO.

Recognising that more needs to be done in order to rehabilitate and reactivate the state’s economic sector, the Penang State Government has announced on 26 August 2020, the Penang People's Aid Package 2.1 with an additional amount of RM4.5 million to six (6) other groups of people, namely farmers; school canteen operators; event management companies; non-Muslim houses of worship; NGOs or active associations; and book and newspaper vendors affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. This brings the total allocation of aid for the people of Penang to RM155.5 million in five months!

Ladies and gentlemen,

Despite the numerous efforts that have been and are being carried out by the State Government, we strongly believe that this storm can only be weathered with the generosity from the private sector and individual benefactors.

Standing here today, it gives me great pleasure to announce that both Mr. EK Tan and Mr. LH Khor, being the executive directors of Greatech, have decided to take a bold step forward to make a difference despite the challenges this year. It is encouraging to know that both of them are committed to give back to the society, especially at this crucial time when many are tightening their wallets and purses just to sustain their businesses. Taking it as part of Greatech’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), these personal contributions amounting to RM1.2 million is not a small sum. Looking at the various organizations which will benefit from their generosity, I wholeheartedly commend the efforts of Greatech and its team for setting an example to improve livelihood in the marketplace through giving. I hope this will spur us, whether as individuals, the public or the private sector, to do the same, so that we will always be reminded that more than just making a living, we are also called to impact lives.

It is not how much we give; but how much LOVE we put into giving.

Thank you.