LOVE PENANG RUN 2022 FLAG OFF CEREMONY

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

FOR LOVE PENANG RUN 2022

FLAG OFF CEREMONY

 

14 AUGUST 2022

YB Soon Lip Chee
Penang State EXCO for Youth and Sports

YB Dato’ Haji Abdul Halim bin Haji Hussain
Penang State EXCO for Trade and Industry, Entrepreneur Development

Members of Parliament, State Assemblymen, Senator, Councillors of MBPP and MBSP

Mr. Raschada Jiwalai
Consul General of Thailand in Penang

Mr Harry Chai Heng Hua
Director of Penang State Sports Council

Mr Lim Choo Hooi
Chairman of Penang Forward Sports Club

Sponsors, Media Friends

 

Ladies and Gentlemen who’re Lovers of Penang

 

Good morning to all of you.

Salam Penang2030. Salam LovePenang.

It gives me great pleasure to be here this morning for the flag off ceremony of LovePenang Run 2022. First of all, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of you who are here and congratulate the organiser for this successful event which attracted some 10,000 participants from 26 countries.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented shutdowns, shortages, and stress for individuals and families worldwide. Many people lost their jobs and businesses, which had a wide-ranging effect on many families, impacting on family interactions and relationships as well as disrupting everything from one’s social life to daily activities.

To make matters worse, we had never felt so isolated as a community when various community spaces were either closed or operated under strict SOPs, hindering the process of strengthening community relationships and fostering a sense of connectivity.

As we emerge from the pandemic, we must revive what we have lost in Penang over the last two years. This is why I recently launched a new official slogan in June, “Love Penang”. “Love Penang” is a simple catchphrase but one with a GREAT positive impact. When we talk about rebuilding Penang, it’s not just the economic aspect we must focus on. Our people, our community, is just as important because the actions of our community can have far-reaching effects. To put it simply, to rebuild our economy, we must first and foremost love Penang and make it a better place for everyone. And the best way to go about it is to love and to be loved in Penang starting from those closest to us at home, our extended family members, friends, business partners and even mere acquaintances.

Filled with the feeling of love and with its resultant positive vibes, we can find strength to recover what we have lost and of course, also the much-needed strength to run in this morning’s LovePenang Run.

Moving forward, I continue to invite all individuals, communities, and organisations to adopt this catchphrase as a mantra to foster a strong and unified sense of community across Penang.

Today’s “Love Penang Run” is a follow-up to the LovePenang campaign. I must say that this programme is organised at the most opportune time. This run is an opportunity for unity where, as a community, we celebrate what truly unites us – our unconditional love for Penang. Organised by the Penang State Government and co-organised by the Penang State Sports Council and Penang Forward Sports Club, this fun run aims to provide a platform for members of the public to express their love for Penang and adopt a healthy lifestyle while discovering the beauty of our capital, George Town City.

I am pleased to see all of you today for turning up bright and early to show your love for Penang. As a famous African proverb says: “If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together.”

On that note, let us all run together and be the embodiment of what Love Penang is all about: making time to be with our families, friends, and communities, reviving our beloved state, and expressing our love for Penang, Together as One.

Thank you.