UNITED States ambassador to Malaysia Brian D. McFeeters expressed his gladness to meet Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow physically for the first time in Komtar today, about four months after having made a virtual courtesy call during the movement control order due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
McFeeters, who was appointed US ambassador to Malaysia since Feb 26 this year, said American companies were happy operating in Penang and thanked the state government as well as investment agencies for giving them their support and a conducive ecosystem.
“It’s great to see you in person. We’re here today to get more familiar with Penang, especially to meet with the business community later today and visit some of the high-tech companies later on,” McFeeters told Chow.
He was joined in the visit by deputy economic counsellor Andrew Johnson, economic officer Juan Clar and information specialist Fiona Teo.
Their discussion ranged from trade incentives, tourism, youth exchange programmes, talent pool, politics, Penang’s two Unesco listings – the George Town World Heritage Site and Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve – to future economic plans.
McFeeters, a former captain in the US Air Force, has served over 30 years in the Foreign Service, including as a political counsellor at the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur from 2009 to 2011.
He said he and his delegation had earlier passed by Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling or also known as Street of Harmony that features four major religious buildings – the Goddess of Mercy Temple, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Sri Mariamman Temple and the St George’s Church.
“We also had char koay teow and cendol,” McFeeters added, referring to two of the state’s many popular street food.
Chow said he appreciated US’ strong bond of relationship with Penang and the presence of American factories in the state.
“Some of the Malaysians trained by the early investors, like Intel, have gone on to start their own small medium enterprises (SMEs) and large local companies (LLCs) over the years,” Chow said.
He added that Penang, which did well in terms of investment figures in 2019 and 2020, has tried to diversify its economy.
“We’ve an ecosystem that allows new players to come in. When big players come in, it is easier for them to bring in the vendors.
“However, we have a shortage of land and are currently working on expanding the Batu Kawan Industrial Park,” Chow said.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud