By Chris Lee Chun Kit

I have many friends – from college and school – who are all over the world today. I see them only for Chinese New Year when we catch up over a meal and find out what is going on in each other’s lives.

You see, many of them left Penang over a decade ago, not because they wanted to, but because they found it difficult to live how they wanted with the earning power here back then.

Many moved to Kuala Lumpur and parts of Selangor, but I could tell they silently wished they were earning their living in their hometown, where their hearts were with their parents and friends.

Since 2008, some have talked of plans to move back as the state’s economy has improved.

Then there are those who simply do not have the financial means to seek employment elsewhere. There are other factors too – inadequate qualifications and personal reasons like family.

Like it or not, they have to try to earn a living locally. You see, for far too long, Penang has been exporting our talents.

Our talents are among the brightest the world has ever seen, yet we have not been able to retain them. One of the key factors has been employment.

The inability to earn a salary that matches the rising cost of living is driving the young to seek their fortunes elsewhere.

Ever since 2008, the present Penang Government has been looking into ways to retain as well as attract talent back to Penang. Many of the Penang diaspora do want to return to Penang if they can sustain their preferred quality of life here.

Then there are those among the diaspora who wish Penang does not change at all and will always remain the same as it was in their childhood.

While we as Penangites are proud of our heritage and our past, Penang must be more than just everyone’s trip down memory lane.

While we do our best to preserve our heritage sites and natural landscapes, to completely halt development in Penang for nostalgic reasons is surely unfair for those of us who have decided to remain and those who seek to return.

When analysing why many left in the first place, it should become clear that development and economic growth are key to retaining talent and keeping a city alive.

Therefore, it is important that we work hard to make Penang an international city that is not in name only but rather one that is on a par with cities around the world.

A responsible government has to represent the people’s welfare and that includes to assist in the ability to earn a healthy living.

Not everyone has the means to send their children overseas to seek their fortunes elsewhere. And if everyone leaves the state and, by extension, the country, are we then just going to be a museum of a glorious past?

One of the most important aspects of achieving the status of an international city is its accessibility throughout the island.

A city with bad accessibility will only result in slow economic growth and we know the domino effect. There is no way we can fit in more buses or trams on single-lane roads.

If this situation does not improve, those living in lesser accessible areas of the state will not be able to participate in economic growth, which will definitely have an effect on the overall picture.

And when I mention accessibility, it is not just human accessibility, but also goods and services. In business, time is money and the economy thrives on the ability to save time and the people’s ability to get to work.

To say that we should just leave everything as it is without looking at the economic consequences on the populace would make the government an extremely irresponsible one.

Remember, a government is voted by the people and is responsible for the welfare of the electorate. George Town was Malaysia’s first city and the first election in Malaysia was held here, too. Penang led in so many ways and was the pride of the newly independent nation of Malaysia.

Obviously, all those historical moments came to pass because the people then were excited about the possibilities that the future held. Everyone wanted the Federation of Malaysia to be successful and the people of Penang wanted the state to continue to be the pride and joy of the nation.

In the 1980s, we were given the nickname of “Darul Sampah”. But fast forward to a post-2008 Penang and you can see that genuine efforts was made to turn the state around. But now, Penang must also start planning for her future because there is one more key ingredient in retaining talent and that is “hope.”

We have to get back the excitement and enthusiasm we had in the 1950s and 1960s when we dreamt about the future and all the opportunities that lay before us. We have seen people from many states in Malaysia move to Kuala Lumpur or Selangor in search of better wages. Others simply moved to Singapore.

A very simple fact remains: when one has invested a lot into his or her education, one seeks the ability to earn a living that is equivalent to his or her qualifications. A responsible government has to find ways to provide that opportunity in order to keep her talent. A lazy government would do nothing to develop the state and tell her talents to move to the big city, then come back and retire.

I believe the Penang Government, including the Penang Future Foundation, is doing all they can in retaining talent and providing scholarships to our young talents. However the bottom line is that development and improved transport accessibility is still key to economic growth that can provide the living standards to retain talent.

Once again, it is about hope and the environment that enables us to be able to dream about a bright future that the young seek. Let us not let them down. While we conserve and celebrate the glorious past of Penang, let us also work harder for an even more glorious future.

Chris Lee Chun Kit is a city councillor with the Penang Island City Council (Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang) representing the DAP.

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