THE OPENING CEREMONY OF METHODIST COLLEGE (PENANG PYKETT CAMPUS)

SPEECH BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY OF METHODIST COLLEGE (PENANG PYKETT CAMPUS)

 

27 May 2022

 

Rev. Dr T. Jeyakumar
Bishop of The Methodist Church of Malaysia

YBhg Dato’ Chin Lean Keat
Chairman of Board of Directors, Wesleyan Education Services Sdn. Bhd.

YBhg Dato’ Dr Tan Kee Kwong
Chairman of MCKL Board of Governors

Ms Angela Pok
CEO of Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL)

Dr. Gerard Boey

Principal & Academic Dean of MCKL

 

MCKL Staff Members,

 

Distinguished guests, Parents, students, ladies & gentlemen.

Good afternoon and a hearty congratulations to the Methodist Council of Education (MCOE) for your new branch campus, MCKL College (Penang, Pykett campus). Indeed, it is a milestone for the Methodist Council of Education, to open a college here in Penang, following the inaugural campus in KL. We are glad to have you here, on our island of Penang.

I would also like to thank the Methodist Council of Education for consistently providing quality education for our young students with a focus on their learning and life beyond their formal education.

MCKL has proven itself to be an institution that provides excellent academic and holistic education. Therefore, it is my sincere hope that with this new branch campus, more future talents could pursue their professional pre-university & tertiary education here in Penang. In time to come, they are the ones who will contribute towards and reap the fruits of the Penang2030 Vision: A Family-Focused Green & Smart State that Inspires the Nation.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

In many ways, Penang is the ideal place for a young person to study. The diverse and bustling nature of Penang is well known! We are also noted for our hospitality and tourist destinations and, of course, our delicious and affordable food! The Pykett campus is located very strategically to what George Town has to offer.

On top of that, Penang is home to many industrial opportunities for young graduates. Due to these reasons, STUDYPenang was established to advance and promote Penang as a Centre of Educational Excellence. Our hope is that more will come to understand the value of this industry and recognise Penang as a hub for world-class education.

As our country and the world continue to adapt to the changes taking place around us, we aspire to equip our youth to adjust and excel in the ever-changing job market. Therefore, we encourage the educational institutions in Penang to be geared towards making the curriculum and course content relevant and impactful to real-world needs.

We must draw from the rich pool of resources in Penang. Partner with the industry to provide work experience for students. Empower students to be creative individuals who serve their communities. It is no longer sufficient to teach from the textbook. Excellent education must be intertwined with the demands of the real world.

To elaborate on what I mentioned about work experience, the opportunities that open up for young graduates should be reason enough to study in Penang. Penang is a flourishing industrial hub which continues to expand and develop. World class big players have set their base in Penang, providing many valuable and lucrative job openings. Even prior to graduation, quality internship opportunities for students are easily available, thus giving them the chance to experience working in multinational companies while staying in Penang.

But what kind of jobs are available? There is a steady amount of research conducted on the job market in Malaysia and I am pleased to see that the programmes offered in MCKL clearly seem to be aligned with the job needs of our country.

There is a continued call for computer science graduates in a variety of sectors. It appears as if the number of jobs is growing faster than the number of graduates! The jobs are varied and there are plentiful. Jobs in this field could relate to app development, cybersecurity or even financial technology! Now with everything being done online, the need for specialists in this area is great and ever-expanding.

Along with the computing field, there is another area where expertise is lacking … Data!

According to the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), there is a rising need for data specialists, particularly with the growth of e-commerce in Malaysia. This field is very practical and requires graduates to feel the pulse of the industry to ensure their knowledge is relevant. Again, this is why Penang is an ideal regional hub for education, with the academic expertise in its institutions and opportunities for practical skills development from the industry.

The same goes for the business industry. Though there are many business graduates in Malaysia, it is key for these graduates to be sufficiently equipped with creative and critical thinking skills to meet the challenges of the industry. This depends very much on the colleges and universities to develop a curriculum that is relevant and dynamic, providing students with a safe space to learn relevant skills and knowledge.

I firmly believe that our country is in the hands of the students going through our educational institutions. And for that reason, I would like to take this opportunity to thank educational institutions in Penang for continuing to nurture competent graduates who will fit into the job market and bring our state and country to greater heights.

Once again, thank you for choosing Penang and helping us in our aspiration to be distinctive as an excellent educational hub, for our community, for our nation.

Thank you.