First and foremost, I would like to congratulate Penang State Government, Beijing International Exchange Association Sustainable Development Committee (BIEASDC), Social Entrepreneurs with Integrity Association (SEIA), Sage International and Hua Dao International Foundation for organizing The 1st 2015 Penang Hanwang Sustainable Development International Forum. This conference is an important gathering for not only ASEAN countries but also from all parts of the world. According to the Organizing Committee Chairman, there are total about 250 delegates from 12 countries. Let me welcome all foreign delegates to Penang, “The Island of Pearl”.
Selamat Datang ke Malaysia.
The Hanwang Forum started in year 2012, with the theme of “Disaster Prevention, Disaster Relief and Sustainable Development” which was held to commemorate the 12th May 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The Hanwang Forum has been listed as a strategic cooperation project by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This is the right platform for all of us to establish a framework and cooperation in development of sustainable cities (Eco-Cities) along One Belt One Road.
The theme for this year forum is “One Belt One Road ASEAN Economic Community Economic Partnership” will emphasize on seven (7) key areas including Disaster Management, Economic Development and Investment, Ecological and Sustainable Environment, Halal Food Market and Services, Tourism and Culture, Human Capital Development and Health Care.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Disaster management is all about crisis management. Not only must we be prepared but we must be equipped with all the tools as well as right training for emergency and rescue personnel.
Disaster management does not avert or eliminate the threats, instead it focuses on creating plans to decrease the impact of disasters. Emergency management consists of five phases: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
I feel that mitigation and preparedness are amongst the most important elements. Preparedness focuses on preparing equipment and procedures for use when a disaster occurs. This equipment and these procedures can be used to reduce vulnerability to disaster, to mitigate the impacts of a disaster or to respond more efficiency in an emergency.
We are also discussing the “One Belt One Road” Initiative for the first time in Penang. This initiative is a development strategy and framework, proposed by People’s Republic of China that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among countries which consists of two main components, the land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt” (SREB) and oceangoing “Maritime Silk Road” (MSR).
In November 2014, Xi Jinping announced plans to create a 40 billion USD development fund, which will be distinguished from the banks created for the initiative.
As a strategic concept that reflects the trends of current times, construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt has several defining characteristics. The first is win-win co-operation. It is based on the principles of co-commerce, co-building and sharing, and is dedicated to establishing a community with shared interests, responsibilities and destiny.
The second characteristic is its openness and inclusivity. China’s plans will be coordinated with the strategic development of involved nations and integrated with the various industries in order to balance the concerns, interests and benefits of all.
The third characteristic is that it is a positive and pragmatic strategy, prioritizing the promotion of infrastructural interconnectivity and co-operation in the areas of trade, industry, energy, finance, culture and the environment in order to gradually build up a pattern of large-scale regional co-operation.
The fourth characteristic is its flexibility and efficiency. Multiple co-operation models will be explored by taking into account conditions in different nations, with no single-minded pursuit of institutional-type structures, with the focus being to maximize relevance and feasibility. The idea of the joint construction of a Silk Road Economic Belt fits the development needs of the countries involved, including South-East Asia.
Penang hopes to benefit with our major infrastructure projects from the RM 27 billion Public Transport Master Plan and the RM 6.3 billion highway and under sea-bed tunnel project which conforms with the objective of improving connectivity and co-operation through infrastructure construction.
This is the right point for us to gather all the knowledge, experiences, expertise and ideas to built strategy and framework for the sake of our development along One Belt, One Road. I really hope that this forum and discussion will be fruitful and each of countries attending today’s forum will benefit from the ideas generated and the knowledge shared.
On this note, it’s now gives me great pleasure to declare the 1st 2015 Penang Hanwang Sustainable Development International Forum officially begin.
Thank you very much.