PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE COMMUNITY AWARDS PROGRAMME UNDER THE LOVEPENANG CAMPAIGN

SPEECH BY YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW

THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG

PRESS CONFERENCE FOR THE COMMUNITY AWARDS PROGRAMME UNDER THE

LOVEPENANG CAMPAIGN

20^TH FEBRUARY 2023 | Bilik Gerakan, KOMTAR

Datuk Seri Haji Abdul Rafique bin Abdul Karim

President of Majlis Datuk-Datuk Penang

Datuk Khoo Boo Leong

Commissioner of Buddhist Tzu-Chi Merits Society Malaysia (Penang)

Datuk Jimmy Ong Ching Keng

Former Chairman of Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers Penang (FMM Penang)

Dr. Doreen Yeap Gim Ean

Senior Vice President at ASP Medical

Award recipients,

Members of the press,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good afternoon.

First and foremost, I would like to welcome each and every one of you to today’s press conference.

As many of us are aware, the LovePENANG Community Awards, is part of the LovePENANG initiative, and it is particularly designed to recognise and appreciate exemplary residents of Penang who have contributed outstandingly to our community and state.

There is no doubt that there are many who have contributed and served our communities well, helped others in need or sacrificed for the well-being of others. But unfortunately, much as I want to, it is impossible to honour each and every one of them. Nonetheless, I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest appreciation to all those who have contributed and sacrificed for our people and state, in their very own ways.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The first round of Community Award recipients was held on the 17^th of October 2022, where we awarded six deserving individuals. Today, we have seven remarkable award recipients with us, namely Mr. Rayson Khoo, Mr. Felix Chuah, Dr. Ngoo Seong Boon, Dr. Jeremy Kung, Encik Mohd Sobri bin Karim, Encik Arif bin Mohamed, and Ms. KS Pakyalakshmi Subramaniam. On behalf of the Penang State Government and all Penangites, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all these individuals who have put in their passion and much effort to make Penang a better place to live in.

I must highlight that their acts and sacrifices are often behind the scenes, not widely known or publicised. Nevertheless, they deserve the recognition from the State Government for their ‘above-and-beyond’ services and contributions. These outstanding citizens will be going home with a Certificate of Appreciation and a small token of appreciation, for the good they have done.

Dear Penangites,

It is inspiring to see the selfless acts of kindness and the dedicated efforts of individuals in our communities. Their contributions have surely made an impact on our state's progress and prosperity. As we celebrate the Community Awards recipients today, let us also recognise that each and every one of us has the power to make a difference in our own unique way. Whether it is volunteering at a local charity, helping a neighbour in need, or simply showing kindness to a stranger, every act of kindness counts.

Hence, as we move forward, let us be inspired by the outstanding examples of our Community Awards recipients and strive to create a better future for all, in line with the state’s Penang2030 vision of ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’.

With that being said, I would like to take this opportunity to once again urge you all to nominate your community heroes, those outstanding individuals who make us proud to be in Penang. Just visit LovePG.my to submit their stories.

Lastly, I wish to also thank the LovePenang Community Award Committee Panel led by Dato’ Seri Haji Abdul Rafique for their commitment to vet all the recipient of the award.

With that, thank you all.