WCIT 2022 GALA Dinner

Speech by the Chief Minister of Penang YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow

WCIT 2022 GALA Dinner

 

14 September 2022
SPICE CONVENTION CENRE

 

Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi bin Haji Abdul Razak
Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang

Honourable Ministers

 

Your Excellency Ambassadors and Trade Commissioners

 

Mr Yannis Sirros, WITSA Chairman

 

Distinguished speakers and panelists

 

Honoured Guests, Members of the Media

 

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

Good evening to all of you.

I would like to, first of all, accord my heartfelt appreciation to Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, the Governor of Penang, for making time to be our guest of honour tonight.

I also take this opportunity to express once again a warm welcome to all our distinguished guests to this evening’s prestigious event, the WITSA Global Innovation and Tech Excellence Awards and Gala Dinner 2022. I hope that you will all enjoy your stay here in Penang to the utmost and when it’s time to go home, you bring back with you fond memories of this place.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The State Government of Penang is very proud to be the host of such a prestigious event. WCIT indeed gives all of us an insight and the opportunity to gain first-hand information and understanding on the latest technology development and innovations that are particularly relevant to Penang.

This gears the State towards achieving the Penang2030 vision for a Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation. And leveraging on technologies and innovations is an important enabler for this Vision if we were to be Industry 4.0 ready in the coming years.

Earlier today, there was a Global Leaders Dialogue that took place at a separate venue, moderated by YB Zairil Khir Johari and YB Dato’ Abdul Halim Hussain.  Key discussions of the dialogue today included exploring platforms of collaboration between Penang, Malaysia with the other economies including Cambodia, Nigeria, Estonia, Greece, South Africa, Indonesia to name a few.

I am happy to learn that we will be having more discussions to detail out the opportunities; to identify and involve the relevant state agencies and corporations, as well as churning out what we can offer in tourism, high technology and smart manufacturing that have contributed to the track record and success story of Penang’s 50 Years of Industrialisation.

The State’s track record in attracting Foreign Direct Investment in the manufacturing sector has remained strong with RM6.3 billion in total approved manufacturing investments recorded in the first quarter of 2022. We had a record high of RM76.2 billion in total approved manufacturing investments in 2021.

On this note, I would like to invite potential investors who are with us this evening to give Penang due consideration for your next investment, if you haven’t done so already. The State Government is always open for discussion. Come talk to us.

Having said that, Penang is not only about industrialisation and manufacturing. We also have rich cultural heritage, matched by sumptuous culinary offerings that won us global recognition. And yes, we also maintain the beauty of our surrounding nature that gave Penang the title of ‘Pearl of the Orient’ a few decades ago.

Despite your tight WCIT 2022 schedules, I hope all of you would find time to sample some of these finer ‘features’ of Penang.

Do enjoy the rest of your stay here and have a wonderful evening.

Thank you.