THE evening was a nostalgic journey through fond memories and historical ties between George Town and Adelaide, two sister cities united by a relationship forged half a century ago.
The Australian High Commission Malaysia hosted a reception at the Suffolk House and it was attended by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and the Governor of South Australia, Frances Adamson AC.
Chow, during his speech, said that over the years, George Town and Adelaide have collectively witnessed the evolving tapestry of culture, culinary influences, heritage, and the diversity of races.
“It is also a shared wonderful delight that both cities have received due recognition from Unesco, with George Town as a World Heritage Site, and Adelaide as a City of Music.
“Fueled by enduring friendship and historical bonds, the sister city relationship between George Town and Adelaide stands as a catalyst to enhance tourism prospects and foster meaningful collaborations across various domains,” Chow said in his speech.
He added that there would not have been a more appropriate venue to hold the reception than Suffolk House, a historical site in Penang that was once home to the late Captain Francis Light. The Captain’s eldest son, Colonel William Light, founded Adelaide a few decades later.
“If we are already impressed by this father and son tale, we must also give due credit to two other gentlemen, unrelated by birth, but united in their foresight.
“They are the then Premier of South Australia, the late Don Dunstan, and the second, the late Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu.
“Tun Dr Lim is fondly remembered as Penang’s second Chief Minister and the architect of Penang’s modern development.
“Together, they (Dunstan and Lim) made this George Town-Adelaide sister city connection possible way back on Dec 8, 1973.
“We owe them our deepest gratitude for building the foundation of a bond that we now celebrate 50 years on,” Chow said.
Meanwhile, Adamson said she was intrigued and excited to be in Penang for the first time as the Governor of South Australia.
“We hope for this George Town-Adelaide relationship to further prosper in the years to come,” she said in her speech.
Adamson is the 36th Governor of South Australia.
Also present at the reception were Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk A. Rajendran and Chow’s wife Tan Lean Kee, Malaysia Airlines northern region commercial and sales area manager Lisa Wong Wen Ling, South Australia state representative (Malaysia) for Trade and Investment Adil Akbar and AEON CO (M) Bhd Perishable and Daily & Dairy Trade Procurement head Thomas Tan.
The Government of South Australia is scheduled to hold a month-long Adelaide food fair at Queensbay Mall from Sept 1 to 30 this year.
Story by Kevin Vimal
Pix by Alissala Thian