Carolyn Khor's blog

*This was first published in Penang Monthly's January 2025 edition.   While most corporations focus on the environment or social welfare as part of their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives, Greatech Technology is interested in instilling and strengthening the culture of reading, not only among its employees, but also in society in general. Greatech, a local automation solutions provider and this year’s main sponsor for the George Town Literary Festival (GTLF), inculcates a love for reading among its employees in order to enhance creativity and innovation. The company has a dedicated reading corner for its employees! Unsurprisingly, Greatech’s group CEO Tan Eng Kee is an avid reader himself, especially of books that focus on leadership, innovation and personal development: “Books as well as arts and cultural activities inspire people to think creatively, which ultimately spark ideas and drive innovation in all sectors, including ours.”  *George Town Litera...

All eyes are on Penang’s Democratic Action Party (DAP) as it prepares for its state elections on 22 September, where the next state DAP chief will be named. This election is of particular interest because the state chairman typically also serves as the chief minister. However, this convention was not followed during Lim Guan Eng’s tenure from 2008 to 2018. Penang chief minister and DAP state chairman Chow Kon Yeow had also recently declined his nomination for the party polls, despite receiving nominations from at least two branches to contest. He said his decision to decline was his first step in initiating his succession plan. This triggered a wave of speculation about the future direction of both his role and the party’s position in the state . Some analysts have interpreted Chow’s move as a strategic decision intended to address upcoming challenges and to facilitate a smooth transition, reflecting his extensive experience and political acumen. The DAP stalwart, who has been ho...

  This article was published in TheSun on 19 August 2024. Tourism and Creative Economy executive councillor Wong Hon Wai said that there is great tourism potential in China’s Greater Bay Area, including Hong Kong. He also said that Penang should explore and expand its market share due to the Greater Bay Area’s large population of 86 million people, and economic strength. “Hong Kong alone has a population of 7.5 million people,” he said. “We warmly welcome more tourists, business professionals, and students from Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to Penang, a unique city that blends East and West, tradition and modernity,” Wong said in a statement on   August 14. He said that the Greater Bay Area encompassing Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao, share deep linguistic and cultural ties with Penang. He also highlighted that the Penang populace was generally proficient in multiple languages and dialects which would ease communication challenges. “Those who love cultural heritage...

  The Smoking Products Control Act for Public Health 2024 is expected to be enforced by this October, said Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad. Dzulkefly stated that all regulations and orders under the act have received approval from the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) and are now awaiting return to the Ministry of Health (MOH). "We are in the final phase. This October, God willing, we will launch four regulations and one order, all of which we have been approved by the AGC. "We have already delayed (on the enforcement once), and hope to implement it in October. We might want to pursue it in September but if we can't, it will be in October," he said after officiating the 2024 National World Thalassemia Day Celebration at Hospital Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (HSAAS), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). The Smoking Products Control Act for Public Health 2024  will regulate matters related to registration, advertising, control over sales and purchase of tobacco produ...

  Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) founder Richard Chang said that more can be done to attract Chinese investors. He said that he personally knows of several Chinese companies that were interested in investing in Malaysia during “A Dialogue with Dr Richard Chang” held at Wawasan Open University's Homestead Mansion last Saturday (17 August). He believes that Malaysia is ready to move out of providing services to delve into Intellectual Property (IP) and product design. He said that the semiconductor industry started in the USA and moved eastwards until it reached Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and China, with some of the backend technologies in Malaysia. “China treasures the long-term cooperation and friendship with Asian countries, especially Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. There is a lot of potential due to the “very good relationship” with China. “If you ask me, how to do it? Just think about how Taiwan did it,” he said, adding that ...

  The “Orangutan Diplomacy” programme suggested in May has been revised with an in-situ approach. Plantation and commodities minister Johari Abdul Ghani said that the decision to shift from the initial plan was made after consulting various parties, such as NGOs and environmental activists. He said that while many parties accepted the idea of the ‘Orangutan Diplomacy’ proposal, a few were against it. “After discussions with stakeholders in the palm oil industry, an in-situ approach will be adopted, where all conservation activities will be carried out in their natural habitats, whether in forests or forest patches within palm oil plantations, known as High Conservation Value (HCV) areas. “It’s true, we should keep the orangutans in their natural habitat. We need to protect the orangutans,” he said during the launching of the World Orangutan Day in Sandakan yesterday. He said that the orangutans will be free to move about to forage and breed without any interference from humans,...

  Association of Science, Technology and Innovation’s (ASTI) founder and president Dr Mohamed Yunus Yasin asserted that one of the best ways to learn is to teach. A process and chemical engineer by profession, Dr Yunus started volunteering as a teacher when he was pursuing his doctorate in chemical engineering at the University of Cambridge. “That was in 2000,” said the passionate educator and freelance consultant who hails from Penang. “Then, I started ASTI at the end of 2012.” ASTI has nine programmes, of which, four are held on an annual basis. They are: 1.       Science Fair for Young Children (SFYC) The Science Fair for Young Children is one of ASTI’s flagship programmes that is held annually. It provides a platform for primary school students to showcase their scientific projects and experiments. The fair encourages creativity, critical thinking, and a hands-on approach to learning science. Participants gain valuable experience in presenting...

  Sixty students with disabilities from five schools around Penang Island will be participating in Penang Science Cluster’s InclusiveSTEM programme, with Intel as its collaborator. The programme, aimed at providing these students with exposure and opportunities to explore STEM careers will receive mentorship from Intel’s 76 volunteers . F acilitators will conduct the STEM activities during the workshop sessions, while the mentors will guide students through their Project Instructables, which will be submitted for the Penang International Science Fair (PISF) 2024. The participating schools with students divided into three cohorts, are SMK Tanjong Bungah, SMK Padang Polo, SMK Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan, SMK Jelutong and SMK Georgetown. Intel has also committed about RM55,000 (USD12,000) to this programme and will support these students with STEM learning kits and loaned laptops. “Our support to this program extends beyond financial contributions; it includes the dedication of In...

  This article was published in Eksentrika , The Sun Daily , CJ.MY , and Newswav . Cultural aesthetics were displayed wall to wall at The Courtyard at Beach Street for the launch of Chao Kai Chih’s solo art exhibition titled Material.Quality.Aggregation . The launch event was held on 13 July as part of the George Town Festival’s programme, which spans the entire month of July each year. The renowned artist, a Taiwanese currently a PhD candidate at the University of Seville in Spain, is celebrated as a visionary navigator boldly venturing into the uncharted territory where East meets West in his artistic endeavours, synthesising creation with culture. "I like to incorporate Eastern materials like paper and calligraphy and infuse them with Chinese characters and Western brushstrokes," said the soft-spoken artist. His visually appealing works capture the essence of cultural exchange, bridging disparate worlds in a fusion of the physical and abstract. His art contrasts flatne...