By V. Sivaji
Some 1,000 delegates from 40 countries will attend the 11th Global Organization of Tamil Origin (GOTO) annual meeting and get-together in Penang from January 4th to 5th, 2025.
This is the very first time that the event is being held outside of Chennai, India and Penang has been honored to be the host city.
All of the previous meetings were held in Chennai. The gathering will hold their meeting Dewan Sri Pinang here.
Present to announce the meet at Komtar earlier today was the State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Wong Hon Wai along with State Exco for Housing and Environment, Dato Seri S Sundarajoo along with the president of .
the Global Organization of Tamil Origin, J. Selvakumar.
Also present was Datin S. Barathi, director of Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) and Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau chief executive officer, Ashwin Gunasekaran.
Participants from the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, United States, Sri Lanka and other Asian countries are expected to be present here.
“It is a privilege for us to host the 11th Global Organization of Tamil Origin meet in Penang. The significance of this event extends far beyond the Tamil community – it is an important milestone for Penang as a whole.
“At this juncture, it is noteworthy that Malaysia will be the chairman for ASEAN in 2025 and also it is Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) in 2026.
“Our industrial sector, especially the small and medium scale enterprises will greatly benefit from the participation of trade associations and entrepreneurs. This meet provides an opportunity to connect Penang SMes with global markets, encouraging the eport of Penang made products and helping our business grow on a global scale”, said Wong.
He also highlighted that Penang’s rich Tamil heritage provides a deep cultural backdrop to this event.
“The Tamil community has played an integral role in shaping Penang’s identity, economy and political landscape.Street names like Chulia Street, Madras Lane, and Tamil Street are testament to this.
“Furthermore, with the visa-free policy between India and Malaysia we are working to facilitate more convenient travel between our nations”, added Wong.
Meanwhile, Sundarajoo said that he had the opportunity to attend last year’s GOTO meet in Chennai.
“It is also important to note that it was in Penang that the first Indians landed in the early days. We can also expect cultural exchange, talk shows, business networking, food displays and other related segments during the meet”, added Rajoo.
Selvakumar shared that two state and two federal ministers from India are expected to attend the meet too.
“Overall, Penang will have a RM3.83 million economic impact value during the hosting of this global gathering”, said Ashwin.