PENANG INTERNATIONAL HALAL EXPO & CONFERENCE (PIHEC) 2022

SPEECH BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW FOR

PENANG INTERNATIONAL HALAL EXPO & CONFERENCE

(PIHEC) 2022

 

2 July 2022 @ 9.00am

 

Honourable Guests

 

Members Of Media

 

Selamat Pagi, Good morning to all who are present here today. I would like to first thank the organisers of the event, Penang Halal International and MMK Perdagangan, Industri dan Pembangunan Usahawan for organizing this important event, as well as the programme partners who have shown their support to the Halal sector – PDC, Grab, Food Panda, Hong Leong Islamic and SME Bank.  

As you may well know, the Halal industry is a wonderful representation of Muslims and non-Muslims working together in various sectors. From F&B, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals to tourism - people from all walks of life learn from each other and work to enrich this entire global industry.

This is exactly the sort of harmonious cooperation that is rooted in the people of Penang. Here, Muslims and non-Muslims not only coexist, but actively work together in achieving common goals of peace and prosperity.

With this positive cooperation, we have seen the Halal industry in Penang chart impressive growth and combined with our economic ecosystem, human telents and stellar background in manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain infrastructure, we are confident of unleashing our best potential.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Penang has the right economic fundamentals, as proven with RM76.2 billion in investments even during the pandemic. Moreover, another reason we, in Penang, can be proud of ourselves is that the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) had recently announced that Penang is the first state in the country to surpass our national growth rate by 5.8%. Our GDP reached RM99.0 billion, which is a rebound of 6.8 percent from a negative 2.1 percent in 2020 when we were worst hit by the pandemic.

Most industries such as the Services sector (+2.1%), manufacturing (+12.4%) and construction (+12.9%) grew except for wholesale & retail trade, F&B and accommodation sub-sectors. But we cannot be complacent. We have to adopt greater efficiency in business and continue striving for excellence, especially for the halal industry because the potential to grow is immense.

On a global scale, I believe it is possible to replicate Penang’s success. Indeed, we are now seeing the same positive progress happening worldwide, as the Halal industry’s ethical foundation and huge commercial potential attracts people from all across the globe. The prospects look promising especially since we have reopened our borders and our tourism industry will be on the fast track to recovery.

However, as the world becomes increasingly volatile, we need to make concerted efforts to protect and nurture this progress.

The Russian-Ukrainian war has wreaked havoc on supply chains, leading to inflation levels economists have not seen in decades. The COVID-19 pandemic had affected millions of livelihoods, and climate change is predicted to have severe consequences on our agricultural capacity. This will lead to food insecurity for millions, globally, and will greatly impact the world’s poorest nations.

In these difficult times, it is crucial that countries and governments collaborate with each other. There is no one government or corporation that can single-handedly solve these multifaceted issues. However, it is our duty to unite in our common goals and even more so for our common good.

The Halal industry has the potential to set the world back on its course. But for the industry to thrive, we must harness all potential synergies available. We must spur our ecosystem with new technologies and explore all growth areas, including equipping Halal entrepreneurs with digital access and knowledge, to kickstart their exponential growth.

However, we must also seek to address potentially detrimental gaps. Pushing entrepreneurs into embracing digital technology in order to grow will not work if they lack even basic access to the Internet.

The sobering truth is that while half the global population wields tech and digitization to change the world, there are millions who still lack basic access to the Internet.

This widens the divide between the haves and the have nots: those who have access to the internet’s wealth of information will remain ahead of the curve. However, those who do not have the same level of access will sink deeper into poverty.

I call on all governments worldwide to look into closing this gap. Governments are given the mandate to lead their people to greater prosperity - to do that, we must invest in them. Digital access is the key to social mobility in this age of digitization - it should be seen as the indispensable right of every citizen.

Bridging the digital gap should become all governments’ priority now that the chaos brought on by the pandemic is dying down. It brings greater economic equality, social mobility, healthier democracies, and economic growth, all through greater, easier access to vital information and resources.

The global economy - and the Halal ecosystem therein - cannot grow without the aid of technology. And while we encourage our brightest minds and entrepreneurs to leverage the wealth of digital resources available, we cannot possibly ignore the bright minds trapped outside the digital corridors.

While waiting on governments to act, we can get the ball rolling. The Halal industry is large and growing. By synergizing and working together, we can get started on closing that gap and ensuring that Halal products will continue to be a force of good.

This good will not only benefit commercial bottom lines, but will also ensure sustainability for all global citizens, as well as the planet we live in.

And that is why I’m pleased to be standing here at the Penang International Halal Expo & Conference, welcoming all of you to the state of Penang.

This convention is a crucial component of the internal cooperation we need. It removes geographical borders, bringing together the most vibrant Halal entrepreneurs and corporations for business collaborations, and allows progressive minds to meet and chart the next frontier for the global Halal ecosystem.

For the next three days, the best and brightest minds from Europe, Asia, and Africa will be discussing key issues related to global recovery, including crucial policy innovations, the use of sustainable technology to enhance efficiency, and the need for multilateral trade agreements.

The outcomes of these discussions may well plant the seeds of global recovery, so I wish you all the very best in the coming days.

To all attendees, I again welcome you to the state of Penang, and to the Penang International Halal Expo & Conference. I hope that all of you take this opportunity to learn, connect and, together, build the Halal ecosystem that can make this world a better place for all.

Thank you.