JOURNEY TO FIRST TECH CHALLENGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

SPEECH BY THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW FOR JOURNEY TO FIRST TECH CHALLENGE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

28 MARCH 2024 (THURSDAY) | 12.30PM
JABIL PENANG P1
______________________________________________

Dato’ Ooi Peng Ee
Penang Science Cluster Chief Executive Officer

Choon Yien Low
Vice President of Operations at Jabil

SJ Tan
Managing Director at Jabil

Principals, Teachers and Students from SMK Permatang Pasir, SMK St. Xavier, SMK Penanti and Penang Science Cluster.

Jabil leaders and colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen.

Good afternoon to you all,

First and foremost, let me take this opportunity to extend my sincere gratitudes to our friends in Jabil for organizing this exciting yet impactful event. Kudos to them! I am very pleased to hear that our Penang-born and raised youth are making change and impacting everyday lives within the state and beyond.

In light of this special moment, I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate participating teachers and students from SMK Permatang Pasir, SMK St Xavier, and SMK Penanti for doing a wonderful job, and that makes all you winners! To Team Pasiran Rex, who will be representing Malaysia in the USA, well done! We are proud of you and we wish you all the best as you mark your name onto the world stage.

It would be remiss of me to not credit the Penang Science Cluster (PSC) for bringing this opportunity to Penang. As a non-profit organization, PSC has played a crucial role in nurturing existing and future talents and paving the way for sustainable talent pipelines to industries in Penang and Malaysia.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a fact that this year we shall witness a tighter grip on the US-China Strategic competition, with increasing tensions stemming from trade sanctions and embargoes and the upcoming US presidential elections. Potential investors from both sides including the rest of the world would seek to implement their ‘plus one’ policies and strategies, to safeguard their economic interests, supply chain and manage adverse risks posed by the competition.

Despite that, this poses a strategic upper-hand for Penang and Malaysia through its neutrality in this competition. Penang’s large pool of knowledge, leadership and industrial excellence from over 50 years would prove us more worthy and attractive in the Southeast Asia region. As a result, wooing strategic investments into Penang and solidifying our position as “the Silicon Valley of the East”.

With that, it is imperative that our youth seize this opportunity, expand your mind and seek the horizons. Your involvement in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) holds a great importance to Penang and Malaysia's role in the future world order. Your continuous interest in STEM will inspire future generations and present itself as a solution to the global shortage of quality workforce in the STEM industries.

Hence, we need all the support we can get to provide opportunities, expose our youth, and nurture them to ignite their passion as well as raise their aspirations in pursuing STEM careers.

By igniting interest in STEM amongst youth, we are able to inculcate the spirit of innovation, promote the notion of entrepreneurship, nurture critical thinking skills, enhance scientific literacy, and cultivate a new generation of problem-solvers. PSC will continue to contribute significantly to the development of our future generations.

Their hands-on, inquiry-based programs, including TechMentor Lego Robotics, Embedded Systems, and Coding, are provided free of charge to schools, enriching the educational experience of countless students. In this regard as well, let us not forget the industry players from various sectors including Jabil who have played an incremental role in supporting our endeavor in aspiring future STEM enthusiasts.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today’s event signifies the vitality of public-private synergies. Working together has led to this special moment and for this, I would like to once again thank Jabil for their moral support and continuous sponsorship of First Tech Challenge Malaysia and schools over the past three years.

We all play a role and looking ahead, I hope to see greater opportunities for our young to experience and develop as young scientists and engineers of tomorrow.

Thank you.