BOY'S BRIGADE FOUNDER'S DAY

SPEECH BY YAB CHOW KON YEOW

THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG

BOY'S BRIGADE FOUNDER'S DAY

08 OCTOBER 2022

YB. Soon Lip Chee

Penang State EXCO for Youth & Sports,

Dato' Khoo Cheok Sin

President of Penang Stedfast Association,

Captain Joseph Yeoh Kee Sing

State Commissioner of the Penang State Council,

Chaplains, Honorary Captains, Captains, Lieutenants, Warrant Officers, Instructors, Officer Cadets, Primers, Staff Sergeants, Non-Commissioned Officers,

Distinguished guests,

Members of the media,

Members of the Boys’ Brigade,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

First and foremost, I would like to start by thanking the organizers for inviting me to be part of such an important event for the Boys’ Brigade. It is wonderful to witness so many young people here, whether they are a part of the organizing team or here just to participate in the event.

The youth are truly the embodiment of the future. That is why the state government has consistently invested in the development and empowerment of our youth. Numerous programmes have been carried out over the years by state government agencies such as the Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC), including the Penang Young Digital Talent, Youth Eco Generation Campaign, International Youth Conference, and many others.

Earlier this year, the Penang State Government has also formed the Penang Youth Committee or ‘Jawatankuasa Belia Pulau Pinang’ in all the 40 constituencies across the state, with the appointment of a pioneer batch of 400 young men and women.

In line with the Penang2030 vision, this empowers youth with responsibilities, while stimulating their community participation. It also strives to develop young people into competent and respectable future leaders by promoting their involvement in the society in Penang's various state constituencies.

As I have mentioned before, we want our youths to discover their hidden talents, leadership qualities, enhance their level of competitiveness and competency, and above all, to enable themselves to be of service to others in their local communities.

As such, I am thankful for the initiatives and efforts carried out by organizations like the Boys’ Brigade, which has been promoting obedience, reverence, discipline, and self-respect among the youth since its founding in 1946.

I understand that the pandemic has hampered many of the usual activities of the Boys’ Brigade, as it has for everyone else. Hence, it is fitting that the theme of your event is the simple but powerful word, ‘Restart’. It is such a straightforward word, yet, its meaning, that is to begin again, to begin anew, is so impactful in this post-pandemic era where the multi-faceted effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are still being felt.

Indeed, as you all gather to celebrate and commemorate your founding by Sir William Alexander Smith, I believe it is only right that you all honour that passion he had for the youth by truly restarting.

For the officers and trainers, I hope you restart by drawing strength from the example of your founder, your colleagues, and from within yourself, to serve the youth by helping them develop into promising young men and women, resilient in times of turbulence, vigilant in times of calm, and altogether commendable in their conduct.

As for you, young people in front of me, members of the Boys’ Brigade, I hope you restart by helping yourself. Envision yourself as the person you want to be in the future and make efforts to become that person. With the guidance of your trainers and mentors, with the company of your friends, restart with new habits and goals, and work towards building a better future, because you, the youth, are the future.

With that, I bid you all a pleasant day and a positive new beginning.

Thank you.