SPEECH BY PENANG CHIEF MINISTER LIM GUAN ENG DURING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE 29TH WOMEN’S WORLD SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP IN Sub-terranean Penang International Convention & Exhibition or SPICE Arena OM 18 MARCH 2014.
Good evening and salam sejahtera.
Good evening distinguished guests, the players we are celebrating and most importantly the wonderful people of Penang gathered here in Sub-terranean Penang International Convention & Exhibition or SPICE Arena.
To all our guests from near and far, Selamat Datang ke Pulau Pinang.
I would like to acknowledge our friends not only from Malaysia but from all over the world – thank you for coming to Penang to witness the 29th edition of the Women’s World Squash Championship. Penang is proud to be organising a world championship for the first time in our history and would like to express our gratitude to the Women Squash Association (WSA) for granting us this honour.
We would like to thank our title sponsors CIMB group and Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang or PBAPP the water providers in Penang. We would like to thank Mr Thomas Chan of Nusmetro for being the event organiser for free, for without Thomas, the Penang state government would not even consider putting up the money for this world event. Also thanks to SP Setia for letting us use the SPICE Arena for free and all of Thomas’ developers friends for their support.
Tonight is a culmination of all the hard work put in day and night by all of them to realise one dream of holding a world championship in Penang and one ambition of making Penang a sporting city of choice in Malaysia.
We have shown to the world that Penang has not only the sporting facilities and supporting infrastructure but most importantly we have the talent, energy, expertise and creativity to produce a world-class event.
Let us show that we have not only Dato Nicol David as a world woman squash champion but that every Penangite is a champion in their own field from our squash association, coaches and trainers to our Penang State EXCO Chong Eng, my sporting officer Lily Heng and volunteers. And the incredible display in the opening ceremony proves indeed that “You are simply the best!”
We thank everyone here for making tonight possible and witness a week of tenacious and exciting matches to produce a world champion in SPICE in Penang. This is possible only because the people of Penang made it possible. Remember why you are all special because you are SIMPLY THE BEST!
Let the show begin!
—-Mandarin Version—
槟州首席部长林冠英于2014年3月18日在国际地下会展中心（SPICE）第29届世界女子壁球锦标赛开幕礼上发表演讲，重点如下：
槟城做为体育城- 实在太好了！
槟城感到光荣，这是我们历史上第一次筹办世界锦标赛，我们想要对女子壁球协会表示感激。
我们也要感谢对我们的主题赞助商联昌集团及槟城供水机构。我们要感谢Nusmetro的陈国权免费筹办这场活动，要不是陈国权，槟州政府根本不会考虑出钱资助这项比赛，我们也感谢SP Setia让我们免费使用SPICE以及全体陈国权发展商朋友的支持。
今晚是所有单位日以继夜不停工作实现一个梦想，在槟城主办世界锦标赛的梦想，以及实现槟城成为马来西亚体育城市的抱负。
我们已经向世界展示，槟城不只拥有体育设备及基础建设，我们也有人才、精力、专才及创意来筹办世界级的活动。
让我们展示，我们不只拥有像拿督妮歌大卫做为世界女子壁球冠军，而是每一个槟城人在自己的领域都是冠军，从壁球协会、教练、到槟州行政议员章瑛、我的体育官员王丽丽及志工们，以及令人大开眼界的开幕典礼，都证明“你们实在是太好了！”