"LOVE PENANG" CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING CEREMONY

SPEECH BY YAB CHOW KON YEOW

THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG

"LOVE PENANG"

CAMPAIGN LAUNCHING CEREMONY

10 June 2022

 

YB Dato’ Law Choo Kiang

Speaker of the Penang State Legislative Assembly

YB Dato’ Ir. Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman

Deputy Chief Minister (I) of Penang

YB Prof. Dr. P. Ramasamy

Deputy Chief Minister (II) of Penang

YB Dato’ Dr. Ahmad Jailani Mohamed Yunus

State Secretary of Penang

Members of the Penang State Executive Council,

Members of the Penang State Assembly,

Members of Parliament and Senate,

Heads of departments,

Councillors of MBPP and MBSP,

Distinguished guests,

Members of the press,

Ladies and gentlemen. 

A very warm welcome to all of you here. I am here today not to share on Penang State’s latest development plan or latest investment or GDP figures. However, I am here today to impress upon you, on what matters most in our life, and the need to build a caring & a resilient society in Penang, that requires ‘whole society approach’.

The pandemic Covid-19 has brought many challenges to our lives, many families and lives were impacted and many struggled while some were hit very badly, but very few had not been adversely affected.

It was a challenging time for us all, as we made major adjustments to live a ‘new normal,’ struggled with our livelihoods and learnt to make the best of restrictions imposed to combat the pandemic.

Even though we must still be cautious, it is now time to reclaim our lives. Time to heal and move forward. We need to put the fire back into our souls to fuel the recovery of Penang.

Recovery does not only mean revving up the business sector or creating jobs, it goes far deeper than that. We must focus to put our lives in order again, even simple things like reconnecting with our relatives and friends again.

A new dawn has risen. We need to emerge more resolved and stronger through the challenges. To rebuild what was broken; and, to once again, reconstruct our hopes and dreams, step-by-step. This won’t be easy, it will take time, but it is far from impossible.

LovePENANG is a call to action, to come together to help Penang rebuild and move forward for a brighter and better future ahead. Regardless of our race, religious background, uniqueness of Penang, we must promote a harmonious living.

LovePENANG starts from home family focused, love your neighbour, and stretch out a helping hand to help others, show empathy, build a caring community. The recent rise of suicide cases has been worrying and we need to care for our family, friends and loved ones. Whenever there’s darkness we must show light and bring love to them.

LovePENANG includes to preserve the green environment and take action on climate change and make Penang a green State.

LovePenang and to continue to strengthen the economic growth of Penang and ready for ambitious digital age as a smart state.

Despite the challenges, I have no doubt Penang will rise to its full potentials. The lifeblood of Penang and the most important ingredient of success - her people, are among the most passionate and brilliant around. A point to note is that our small state has produced many talented sons and daughters - much more than our fair share.

Unequalled till today, we have:

• Tan Sri P. Ramlee, the multi-talented legend in music and film.
• Dato’ Jimmy Choo, a world-famous fashion icon; and, of course,
• the queen of squash, Datuk Nichol David.
• Badminton player Dato’ Lee Chong Wei

There are many more prominent sons and daughters of Penang and those who have achieved greatness in their fields. Penang has always produced talented people.

I want to take this opportunity to also thank the frontliners (healthcare workers doctors, nurses, security workers police, armed forces and social workers) during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are deeply grateful to all the sacrifices. We would like to thank the frontliners for your strength, courage, and dedication.

We must show support to our food and beverage industry, from our famous street food to lavish international cuisines, your patronage is essential. Our street food from Char Koay Teow to Apom to Mee Udang and Nasi Kandar are part of our proud multi-cultural heritage. We must keep them thriving.

Traders and retailers also need a boost. Life had been very tough for small and medium-sized businesses. Although we have programs in place to help them remain relevant in this new age, they too, ultimately need your support. Buy more local and help ensure their tomorrow.

Keep our traditions going with arts and culture. From cultural heritage, street performances and cultural celebrations, they all make Penang unique. Penang is truly a melting pot of cultures, and the traditions must be preserved and treasured.

LovePENANG for we have much to love Penang for.

From Seberang Perai to Penang Island, Penang State a truly inspirational place. We may be the second smallest state in terms of land mass, but we have achieved much in attracting foreign and local investments and created job opportunities.

George Town, is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historical core. Some have even described Penang as one of the most intact historical cities in Asia. Penang is not only a pristine historical marvel, but also a biodiverse habitat. Just last year, Penang Hill was listed as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is no simple feat to have both a bustling city, a heritage site and biodiverse habitat coexisting.

The LovePENANG concept is also about taking action to make Penang a better place for your children, grandchildren and beyond.

Taking the lead and in line with the LovePENANG concept, we must be in the forefront to help the rakyat  and their  struggles . Together with the civil societies we empower the civic participation and partnering with NGOs.

Finally, LovePENANG is for all, a community focused campaign with the ultimate purpose of benefiting the state and her people. Anyone can adopt the LovePENANG concept as long as it is in line with the theme.

I encourage government departments and agencies, non-government organizations, corporates and other establishments, to join in and proudly display the LovePENANG identity when doing something worthwhile for the community or the state.

With passion and dreams, we can have confidence to take Penang forward, to rise stronger and more resilient. Together, let us surge ahead to set things right and continue to make Penang the place we can all be proud of.

The future of Penang is bright, for it is built on the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices of all Penangites as its strong foundation, therefore let us unite, and build the future of Penang together with vision, hope and love.

LovePenang is a call to action for all Penangites, it starts from your family, neighbourhood, your kampung and community, and we shape and act on our shared future together for a better Penang.

LovePenang

Thank you.