Official Opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Kingdom of Belgium
Speech by YAB Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang On the occasion of the Official Opening of the
Honorary Consulate of the Kingdom of Belgium
in George Town, Penang
18 March 2022, E&O Hotel
H.E. Mr. Pascal Gregoire (pronounced: Greh-Gua)
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Malaysia
Mr. Michel Van Crombrugge
(pronounced: Michelle Varn Combru-girh)
Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Belgium in Penang
Honourable Members of the Penang State Executive Council and State Assembly,
His Excellency Mr. Orikasa Hiroyuki, Consul-General of Japan in Penang,
His Excellency Mr. Raschada Jiwalai, Consul-General of the Kingdom of Thailand in Penang,
His Excellency Bapak Bambang Suharto, Consul-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Penang,
Members of the Consular Corp in Penang
Distinguished Guests,
Members of the Media,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Good evening to all of you.
I am delighted to be here this evening to commemorate the official opening of the Kingdom of Belgium’s Honorary Consulate Office in Penang as well as the appointment of Mr. Michelle Varn Crombru-Girh as the Honorary Consul of Belgium in Penang. This is another welcomed addition to Penang’s growing community of foreign representatives which now stands at 23, and I look forward to more robust engagements between the Penang State Government and the respective diplomatic missions.
Since diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Belgium was established in 1975, both countries have maintained ties based on trust and mutual respect. With the opening of the Belgian Honorary Consulate Office here, I hope our ties will be further strengthened in the fields of business, investment and other areas of mutual interest.
While Covid-19 has required all of us to adopt new norms and to face a future where adaptability might be the only consistent element in a sea of uncertainties, Penang’s future is bolstered by us maintaining our position as one of Malaysia’s key economic backbones.
In 2021, Penang’s exports climbed 14% year-on-year, reaching its all-time high of RM354 billion, hence cementing Penang’s position as the nation’s highest contributor in exports. Notably, Penang’s exports are dominated by the electrical and electronic (E&E) and semiconductor products.
In addition to Penang having generated RM101 billion trade surplus in 2021, I have the pleasure to inform that Penang has also recorded an outstanding total approved investments of RM76.2 billion for year 2021. This achievement followed our already impressive performances for the preceding two years, namely 2019’s total of RM17 billion, and RM14 billion for year 2020. Never to rest on our laurels, the State is confident that there are still plenty of opportunities for Penang, particularly those arising from global supply-chain reconfiguration and the emerging industries that will continue to play important roles in the post COVID-19 era.
As Penang celebrates our 50th anniversary of industrialisation this year, we extend our arms to welcome Belgian companies to consider Penang as their operational base and manufacturing site not only for Malaysia, but also for the whole South-East Asia and East Asia markets. I truly believe that by combining our efforts and utilising our resources, we will scale new horizons and bring about new opportunities for the benefit of our nations.
Thank you.