SIGNING OF MOU BETWEEN PERSATUAN KEBAJIKAN 88 KAPTEN PULAU PINANG, UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA AND UOW MALAYSIA KDU PENANG UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
SPEECH BY YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW
THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
SIGNING OF MOU BETWEEN PERSATUAN KEBAJIKAN 88 KAPTEN PULAU PINANG, UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA AND UOW MALAYSIA KDU PENANG UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
12 DECEMBER 2022
YB Prof. Dr. Ramasamy A/L Palanisamy
Deputy Chief Minister 2 of Penang
YB Dato’ Haji Abdul Halim bin Haji Hussain
Penang State EXCO for Trade and Industry and Entrepreneurial Development
YBhg. Dato’ Seri Dr Ooi Eng Hock
Chairman of Persatuan Kebajikan 88 Kapten Pulau Pinang
YBrs. Dr. Shaizatulaqma Kamalul Ariffin
Director, Industry Network Office, Division of Industry & Community Network (BJIM), USM
YBrs. Prof. Dr. Chong Beng Keok
Vice-Chancellor of UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College (UOW)
Advisory Board Members of Kebajikan 88 Kapten Pulau Pinang;
YBhg. Dato’ Ong Eng Bin
YBhg. Dato’ Seri Sr Rozali bin Mohamud
YBhg. Dato’ Mohd Jamil Mohamed
Members of “88 Captains”
Distinguished Guests
Members of the press
Ladies & Gentlemen
Salam Sejahtera and a very good morning to everyone.
Firstly, thank you for inviting me to join all of you here today to witness the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Persatuan Kebajikan 88 Kapten Pulau Pinang (also known as “88 Captains”), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) and UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College.
Before I proceed further, let me congratulate all the members of the “88 Captains” for joining hands and pulling your resources together in order to raise funds to financially assist the underprivileged students in the state. These deserving students are truly fortunate to have the “88 Captains” assisting them in making their dreams of higher education a reality.
I am proud that an NGO founded only in May of this year was able to raise substantial funds so quickly and be ready to disburse them to underprivileged students in early 2023. This remarkable achievement should be recognised, especially in light of the current economic uncertainty. Well done “88 Captains”, and please give yourselves a big round of applause!
Ladies and gentlemen,
The MOU that will be signed today aims to provide scholarships for 30 to 40 students at a cost of RM 400,000 to RM 500,000 per year, or approximately RM 15,000 to RM 20,000 per student. Students in various disciplines relevant to market needs will be identified by the universities, namely USM and UOW Malaysia KDU Penang.
The “88 Captains”, on the other hand, will provide scholarships and career guidance to students, eventually leading to internships and full-time employment in Penang. These chosen students must meet the performance criteria each year and work in Penang or its surrounding area (the northern corridors) for at least three years upon graduation.
I must say, the goal of this MOU, as well as the vision and mission of the "88 Captains," are very much in line with and complimentary to the state’s initiative of developing and retaining young talents in the state. Among many other initiatives, one notable example is the Penang Future Foundation (PFF), which serves as a financial lifeline for outstanding and deserving Malaysian youths pursuing tertiary studies in Malaysian public and private universities.
Since 2015, the PFF has awarded approximately 655 scholarships to deserving students, amounting to RM 36.4 million as of today. With the contributions and support from the private sectors, this initiative has successfully attracted, built and retained local talents from a diverse range of backgrounds in the State.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As many of us are aware, Penang has done extremely well in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) with an all-time high of RM76.2 billion in total approved manufacturing investments in 2021. This initiative has successfully attracted, built, and retained local talent from a diverse range of backgrounds in the state, thanks to contributions and support from the private sector.
Moving forward, and in conjunction with the state’s 50th Industrialization Anniversary, the State Government is even more determined to uphold its competitive edge by ensuring that world-class infrastructure and, particularly, skilled local talent, are readily available to local and foreign investors. We hope that with such initiatives, we are able to propel Penang to secure greater accolades beyond being the “Silicon Valley of the East”.
Having said that, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Persatuan Kebajikan 88 Kapten Pulau Pinang, Universiti Sains Malaysia and UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College, for their commendable efforts in supporting the state’s talent development initiatives. I hope more NGOs will follow your footsteps in this holistic approach, which goes beyond providing financial assistance.
I am certain your collaborative mission will touch many and make positive changes to the lives of these deserving students. This is a fantastic way of contributing back to the society and an awesome way of paving the way forward.
As such, I wish you all the very best, and I look forward to the successful outcome of this MOU.
Thank you.