PENANG Governor Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak hosted a banquet to entertain the heads of various delegations to the 14th Conference on ASEAN-China People-to-People Friendship Organisations at his official residence in Sri Mutiara.
Besides extending a warm welcome to the representatives, Ahmad Fuzi spoke about Penang’s progress in several fields on Monday.
He expressed hope that the state could embark on the Silicon Island project within this year, an ambitious project to reclaim 2,300 acres of land.
“Plans to provide more land for economic development is something investors and I would like to see,” Ahmad Fuzi said.
He also told the participants about the advantages of investing in Penang, including its robust ecosystem, and encouraged closer relations with other countries for mutual benefit.
The conference, which began on Sept 3, concluded successfully today. The countries that took part were China, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow underscored Penang’s strategic position as the gateway to Southeast Asia, particularly in the post-epidemic era.
Thanks to Penang’s robust industrial ecosystem, especially in the fields of semiconductors and medical technology, Chow said Penang has a strong foundation and has become one of the preferred destinations for international companies to invest in the region.
He revealed that the Penang government would focus on the digital economy in the future to ensure that Penang can keep up with the development of the times and occupy a place in this emerging field.
He also hopes to cooperate closely with other ASEAN countries and China to attract more investors from related parties to settle in Penang and bring more possibilities for economic activities in Penang.
“As Tun said, we are looking forward to exciting times in Penang. After the pandemic, our economy is doing very well. We are working very hard to ensure we can implement most of the infrastructure projects so that we have a stronger foundation for future growth.
“We have a very good ecosystem here, especially for the electronics sector, and we have seen great achievements in medical tech. Digital economy will be the new sector we want to promote.
“We welcome all the delegates from ASEAN countries, and China, of course, to invest here. We have witnessed significant investments from China in Penang over the last two years and we look forward to more investments from them,” Chow said.
The distinguished attendees included Datuk Mohd Sayuthi Bakar, the State Secretary, Gu Xiulian, president of the China-ASEAN Association, and Datuk Abdul Majid Abdul Khan, president of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association.
Gu expressed her desire for increased high-tech cooperation with ASEAN nations and alignment with the Belt and Road Initiative, fostering regional economic growth through win-win partnerships.
Abdul Majid hoped that Penang, a renowned industrial and economic centre, would evolve into an ASEAN hub and contribute significantly to regional development.
This marked the second time the Malaysia-China Friendship Association played host to the conference, with the first instance in 2014 in Kuala Lumpur.
Prior to this gathering, the last physical meeting took place in Bandung in 2019, followed by a virtual conference in Vientiane in 2022.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Alissala Thian