On March 28, 2021, Chinese Consul General in Penang Mr. Lu Shiwei attended the inauguration ceremony of Penang Chaoyang Association and the swearing-in ceremony of the members of the first executive council and members of the youth council, and delivered a speech. Mr. Yeoh Soon Hin, Executive Councilor of Penang, Mr. Teh Lai Heng, Political Secretary of Penang Chief Minister, Mr. Tan Khoon Hai, Deputy Chairman of Penang Chinese Town Hall (PCTH), Mr. Ng Tee Soo, Chairman of Penang Teochew Association, Mr. Lim Aun Ghee, Chairman of Penang Chaoyang Association, etc. attended the ceremony.
Consul General Lu Shiwei stated in his speech that Penang Chaoyang Association is established on the foundation of the long-lasting and strong sentiment towards the ancestral homeland of all the members of the Association. He hoped everyone to seize the new opportunities of China’s development and China-Malaysia cooperation, and work hard to expand each one’s own business. Everyone can make contributions to the enhancement of China-Malaysia friendship, inheritance of Chinese culture, and promotion of economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges between the two countries. After the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone can take the younger generation of the family back to ancestral home and have a look of the hometown, make more friends and strengthen exchanges with the fellows of the hometown. Everyone will be able to experience the rapid changes of the hometown and China, and let the bond of kinship and homeland pass down from generation to generation.
Consul General Lu Shiwei emphasized that 2021 is a year of special significance to China. It marks the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China and the inaugural year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. China has embarked on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. The international community is generally optimistic about China’s development prospects. According to the latest forecast of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the global economy is projected to grow 5.5% in 2021, and the Chinese economy is expected to grow by 8.1%. The strong growth of the Chinese economy will drive the recovery of the world economy including Malaysia.
Mr. Lim Aun Ghee introduced that the Penang Chaoyang Association is aiming at enhancing clan ties and friendly relations with the ancestral hometown, better understanding and inheriting Chaoyang culture, and seeking the ancestral roots. He expressed that the Association will work hard to spread the values of kinship, dialect and home, guide young people to actively inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and promote friendly exchanges between China and Malaysia at both national and local levels.