WELCOME ADDRESS BY

YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW

THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG

WCIT 2022 OPENING CEREMONY

SPICE CONVENTION CENTRE

13 SEPTEMBER 2022; 9.50AM

Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Dato' Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi bin Haji Abdul Razak

Penang State Governor

YAB Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob

Prime Minister of Malaysia

YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Adham bin Baba

Minister of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI)

YB Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima TPr. Haji Annuar bin Haji Musa

Minister of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia

YB Dato’ Seri Dr. Shahidan bin Kassim

Minister, Ministry of Federal Territories

YB Datuk Seri Saravanan a/l Murugan

Minister, Ministry of Human Resources

YB Dato’ Seri Reezal Merican bin Naina Merican

Minister of Housing and Local Government Malaysia

Exco Members of The Penang State Government

Ambassadors & High Commisioners to Malaysia

Mr Yannis Sirros

Chairman of WITSA

Dr Sean Seah

PIKOM Chairman & WCIT 2022 Organising Chairman

Federal & State Goverment Agencies

Distinguished guests

Members of the media

Ladies and gentlemen

Good morning. 

It is my pleasure to be here today for the long-awaited World Congress on Innovation and Technology 2022 (WCIT 2022), one of the world’s largest and most prestigious ICT events. On behalf of the Penang State Government, I would like to welcome all government leaders, visionaries, industry captains, innovators, academicians, and visitors from over 80 countries to Penang. 

With the theme ‘Connecting and Transforming the World’, WCIT creates a platform that is paramount in addressing the current agendas that are pertinent to the industry players, while aptly sets the tone for all visitors to exchange ideas and connect. 

With a list of extensive programmes mapped out over the three-day event, surrounding on the digitalization landscape and upcoming technology frontier, I am sure that WCIT 2022 will ignite the creation of innovative technologies and effective solutions, inspiring all stakeholders to forge ahead in this new and exciting era. 

Ladies & gentlemen, 

Dubbed as the Silicon Valley of the East and the economic powerhouse of Malaysia, Penang constantly serve as a partner of choice for global top-notch technology companies. Proudly, Penang is also known as an entrepreneurial state that provides a conducive environment for homegrown technology companies to scale and prosper, gaining recognitions in the international arena.

Despite being the second smallest state in Malaysia, Penang commanded over 5% of the global semiconductor sales and made up close to 60% of the country’s E&E exports. On the investment front, the manufacturing and service industries collectively garnered a record high of RM84 billion in 2021. 

With Penang’s leading position in advanced manufacturing coupled with our strong engineering talent pool, I am confident that Penang could play a prominent role in the national digitalisation agenda. 

In Malaysia, the digital economy is expected to contribute 23% of the country’s GDP and create over 500,000 jobs by 2025. I am pleased to note that Penang’s proposition in the global value chain is no longer restricted to back-end activities, but we are becoming an emerging regional hub for IC design, IoT solutions and R&D activities.

Penang has been clocking in strategic investments from the digital economy industries over the past years. The most recent investments include Lattice Semiconductor, Luxoft, and UST.

Ladies & gentlemen, 

We acknowledge that incorporating tripartite Public-Private and People partnership is crucial in paving the way to becoming a high-income economy and creating quality jobs. On this note, I wish to assure all investors that the State Government, through InvestPenang, Penang Development Corporation and other relevant state machineries, is committed to providing unwavering support to the investors.

To all attendees, I am certain that you will have fruitful and rewarding exchanges from WCIT 2022. With that, I wish everyone a great success with this impactful conference, and I look forward to learning about the outcomes.

Thank you.

Speech by the Chief Minister of Penang YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow

WCIT 2022 GALA Dinner

14 September 2022
SPICE CONVENTION CENRE

Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi bin Haji Abdul Razak
Yang di-Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang

Honourable Ministers

Your Excellency Ambassadors and Trade Commissioners

Mr Yannis Sirros, WITSA Chairman

Distinguished speakers and panelists

Honoured Guests, Members of the Media

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good evening to all of you.

I would like to, first of all, accord my heartfelt appreciation to Tun Dato’ Seri Utama Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, the Governor of Penang, for making time to be our guest of honour tonight.

I also take this opportunity to express once again a warm welcome to all our distinguished guests to this evening’s prestigious event, the WITSA Global Innovation and Tech Excellence Awards and Gala Dinner 2022. I hope that you will all enjoy your stay here in Penang to the utmost and when it’s time to go home, you bring back with you fond memories of this place.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The State Government of Penang is very proud to be the host of such a prestigious event. WCIT indeed gives all of us an insight and the opportunity to gain first-hand information and understanding on the latest technology development and innovations that are particularly relevant to Penang.

This gears the State towards achieving the Penang2030 vision for a Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation. And leveraging on technologies and innovations is an important enabler for this Vision if we were to be Industry 4.0 ready in the coming years.

Earlier today, there was a Global Leaders Dialogue that took place at a separate venue, moderated by YB Zairil Khir Johari and YB Dato’ Abdul Halim Hussain.  Key discussions of the dialogue today included exploring platforms of collaboration between Penang, Malaysia with the other economies including Cambodia, Nigeria, Estonia, Greece, South Africa, Indonesia to name a few.

I am happy to learn that we will be having more discussions to detail out the opportunities; to identify and involve the relevant state agencies and corporations, as well as churning out what we can offer in tourism, high technology and smart manufacturing that have contributed to the track record and success story of Penang’s 50 Years of Industrialisation.

The State’s track record in attracting Foreign Direct Investment in the manufacturing sector has remained strong with RM6.3 billion in total approved manufacturing investments recorded in the first quarter of 2022. We had a record high of RM76.2 billion in total approved manufacturing investments in 2021.

On this note, I would like to invite potential investors who are with us this evening to give Penang due consideration for your next investment, if you haven’t done so already. The State Government is always open for discussion. Come talk to us.

Having said that, Penang is not only about industrialisation and manufacturing. We also have rich cultural heritage, matched by sumptuous culinary offerings that won us global recognition. And yes, we also maintain the beauty of our surrounding nature that gave Penang the title of ‘Pearl of the Orient’ a few decades ago.

Despite your tight WCIT 2022 schedules, I hope all of you would find time to sample some of these finer ‘features’ of Penang.

Do enjoy the rest of your stay here and have a wonderful evening.

Thank you.

WCIT 2022 CLOSING CEREMONY

15 September 2022

Closing Remarks by the Chief Minister of Penang,

YAB Tuan Chow Kon Yeow

Exco Members of The Penang State Government

Ambassadors & High Commissioners to Malaysia

Dr Sean Seah, Chairman of PIKOM

Mr Yannis Sirros, Chairman of WITSA

Federal & State Government Agencies

Distinguished guests

Members of the media

Ladies and gentlemen

We have completed a fulfilling 3-days at WCIT 2022. I hope and indeed, I am confident that the event has set the stage for all of us as individuals, corporations, organisations and government to connect and transform the world we live in.

I am proud and happy to note that WCIT 2022 ranks as among the largest innovation and tech gatherings not only post-pandemic, but also pre-pandemic: more than 4,000 conference guests; over 60 nations and economies. And with the inclusion of TechFest 2022 that features more than 500 brands.

WCIT 2022 has liven up to its promise to serve as a catalyst to sustain the recovery of Malaysia’s digital and national economy post-pandemic with the investment announcements that I am privileged to witness today.

Congratulations to the respective parties and collaborations!

The digital investments announced at WCIT 2022 is expected to create more than 11,000 job opportunities. Of this figure, some 5,900 opportunities can be generated through federal digital investments and another 5,800 via domestic digital investments.

I am happy to note that there will also be new jobs from the digital investments made in Penang during a year when WCIT 2022 coincides with the 50^th anniversary of the state’s industrialization. Of course, Penangites have a new aspiration to aim for now, and that is out 2030 vision for a family-focused green and smart state incorporating the Penang Digital Initiative.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me take this opportunity to express the Penang Government’s deep gratitude to the following parties for both the staging and the success of WCIT 2022.

WITSA, the World Information Technology and Services Alliance, for once again appointing Malaysia and in this case Penang as the host.

PIKOM, the National Tech Association of Malaysia, for organizing and hosting a truly memorable event.

All the sponsors and partners for your contributions and collaborations. The participants and attendees from Malaysia and rest of the world.

I would also like to highlight the selfless contributions of the hundreds of volunteers. You are the definitely the unsung heroes who have guaranteed that this event will live long in our memories.

Thank you.