SPEECH BY CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG, YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW

FOR THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF NATIONAL HUMAN CAPITAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION (NHCCE) 2023 - NORTHERN REGION

 

1 JUNE 2023
SETIA SPICE CONVENTION CENTRE

 

YB Tuan V. Sivakumar

Minister of Human Resources

 

Yang Berbahagia Dato' Hajah Norison binti Ramli

Deputy Secretary General (Operation), Ministry of Human Resources

 

Yang Berbahagia Datuk Rajasekharan Ramasamy

Chairman of Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp)

 

Yang Berbahagia Datuk Shahul Dawood

Chief Executive of HRD Corp

 

Yang Berusaha Dr. Matin Ng

Vice Chairman of Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC)

Yang Berusaha Mr Tan Eng Tong

CEO of PSDC

 

Speakers, Strategic Partners, and Sponsors

Distinguished Guests

Members of the Media

Ladies and gentlemen

A very good morning & Salam Malaysia MADANI.

I want to thank Yang Berhormat Tuan V. Sivakumar, the Minister of Human Resources, as well as Datuk Shahul Dawood and the team at Human Resource Development Corporation (HRD Corp) for inviting me and the Penang State Government to be a part of this very momentous occasion – the National Human Capital Conference & Exhibition (NHCCE) 2023 – Northern Region.

I was made to understand that this is the first stop of the regional series for NHCCE 2023. To that end, welcome to Penang and we are honoured to have been chosen as host for this inaugural event. I would also like to extend my congratulations and appreciation to Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) for taking the initiative to represent the state as a key partner for this event.

The Penang State Government fully supports all efforts to improve the development of the state, region and, ultimately, the nation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The world is grappling with a slowing global economy and international logistic disruption. However, despite these uncertainties, Penang’s economy has remained robust and resilient. The state currently houses more than 350 multinational corporations, including three of the top 10 semiconductor giants and six of the top 30 medical device companies in the world.

As such, it is not surprising that 2022 was a record-breaking year for Penang. Notwithstanding the intensifying competition from our regional counterparts, Penang’s approved manufacturing investments reached RM13.7 billion in 2022 and are expected to create over 15,000 jobs in the next few years.

Furthermore, the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) has also reported encouraging numbers. The Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), consisting of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Perlis, has realised 18,299 jobs and RM23 billion in investments in the last few years.

Penang and our regional counterparts play a pivotal role in shaping and growing  Malaysia’s economy. In fact, recent reports stated that Kedah had secured RM7.34 billion in high-impact investments in 2022. These will be channelled to the Kedah Rubber City (KRC) and Kedah Science Technology Park (KTSP).

At the same time, Perak is on track to attract RM4.2 billion in approved investments focusing on new economies, while the establishment of the Chuping Valley Industrial Area (CVIA) in Perlis will take advantage of the cross-border trade potential of the state.

Ladies and gentlemen,

While such investments place Penang and the northern states in good stead, we need a strong, dynamic and agile workforce and talent pool to sustain and grow these investments in the long-term.

Beyond that, strong human capital is essential in ensuring we continue to create and maintain well-developed infrastructure and stay ahead of increasing competition in Southeast Asia.

The NHCCE 2023–Northern Region is an excellent platform for government representatives, academia, industry players, and working professionals in Penang, Perak, Kedah and Perlis to come together to discuss our human capital challenges and opportunities in a meaningful way.

Furthermore, they will also be able to listen to experts on how to adopt innovative solutions, garner data-driven insights and utilise key analytics for effective decision-making. This is very important for a manufacturing hub like Penang, where businesses are rapidly moving towards IR4.0 solutions and will require local talents with the right skills and knowledge.   

Given the meaningful discussions held the past two days by thought leaders, industry captains and subject matter experts, I am confident that HR practitioners in the region can look at transforming their approach to HR in an effective manner and chart a new path towards future-proofing the nation’s Northern Region workforce in the long term.

To realise this vision, I am delighted to announce that the Penang State Government will collaborate with HRD Corp to form the National Human Capital Development Committee. This committee will formulate talent nurturing, talent crisis and talent development strategies in the State, ensuring that Penang continues to develop world-class talents now and for the future.

Once again, I would like to thank the Ministry of Human Resources and HRD Corp for bringing the Conference to the Northern Region of Malaysia. Congratulations also to PSDC for being a part of this great event. I hope this Conference will kickstart constructive discourse that will shape a new era of high-value economic development in the region.

Thank you.