THE small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Penang came together this morning to celebrate sportsmanship and engage in a healthy lifestyle at the first Penang SMEs Olympics 2022.
Hosted by Aemulus Corporation Sdn Bhd, the event attracted 12 other SMEs and the participants took part in five sports.
The sports contested were badminton, futsal, table tennis, track and field, and tug-of-war.
The SMEs which participated were Aemulus, Cortex Robotics, Globetronics, GSH Precision, Ideal Vision, Oppstar, Opulent, Pentamaster, RDT Enterprise, SMI Paper Industry, StarFive, Swift Bridge Technologies, and Value Sources.
Organising chairman Marcus Lee said the idea of hosting the event stemmed from his conversation with Aemulus founder and chief executive officer Ng Sang Beng five months ago.
“He had asked what we could do as a company to promote wellness as part of our ESG (environmental, social governance) initiative to the companies in Penang.
“The word Olympics instantly came to mind. And knowing it is never easy for smaller companies and SMEs, with limited resources, to organise this kind of event, Aemulus decided to take lead to make it happen for our employees and our SME community.
“So that was how Penang SMEs Olympics 2022 got started.
“I am thankful that 12 companies responded to our invitation. Besides our electrical and electronics (E&E) industry, there are also companies like SMI Paper Industry who wrote to us that it is interested to participate.
“There were a few multinational corporations (MNCs) who were also interested, but as this is our first time organising an event at this scale, and not knowing how is the Covid situation at this time, we decided to keep it within SME companies,” he said in his speech before the opening of the event at Universiti Sains Malaysia.
The 50th Anniversary of Penang’s Industrialisation Celebration Organising Committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Kah Choon said Penang has been transformed after 50 years of industrialisation and is attracting talents from all over the country to sustain the industry moving forward.
“It is important for the SMEs in Penang to work together to face the greater challenges out there, and for local SMEs to participate in the supply chain,” he said.
Kah Choon also thanked Aemulus and the Penang SMEs Olympics 2022 organising committee for organising the sports event which celebrates friendship and respect for one another.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who launched the Penang SMEs Olympics 2022, said this year marks the Golden Jubilee of Industrialisation in Penang.
“With the tagline of ‘50 Years of Excellence and Beyond’, 13 focused themes have been identified to mark our celebration.
“InvestPenang and Penang Development Corporation (PDC), being the lead agencies for this celebration, have planned and coordinated a year-long event with industry leaders to showcase Penang’s transformation journey and the vast opportunities ahead. The Penang SMEs Olympics 2022 which we are having this morning is one of them.
“The Covid-19 pandemic took us all by storm over the past two years. Most of us were hit hard by the harsh reality of being homebound.
“Adapting was the only option. But what was most overlooked during those trying times was not only our mental health but also our physical health.
“With that in mind, Aemulus together with 12 other SMEs joined the effort to make this Olympics event possible, with the hope that we can highlight the importance of sports to our physical fitness and build a stronger community,” Chow said in his speech.
He commended Aemulus Corporation for driving the ESG theme under the celebration and for organising this industry-led initiative.
“I must note that we are in this not to compete against each other, but to get together. It is not about who wins or loses, but a form of appreciation for in-person interactions which we have missed over the past two years.
“Let us keep in mind our Penang2030 vision of ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’.
“Remember to play your part as a green citizen. Recycle and keep our surroundings clean. Do it not just for yourself but for others too,” he added.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Darwina Mohd Daud