By V. Sivaji
The third edition of the Penang Hill Festival is back from August 5 to 7, 2022.
Present to announce the festival was Penang State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy, YB Yeoh Soon Hin in Komtar earlier today.
Lending support was the Member of Parliament for Bukit Bendera Wong Hon Wai, Dato Cheok Lay Leng, general manager of Penang Hill Corporation, Penang Global Tourism (PGT) chief executive officer Ooi Chok Yan, Penang director for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, (Motac) Jonathan Freddy Bagang and Allen Tan, managing director of The Habitat Penang.
Also present was Canon Malaysia President & CEO Shunji Yoshikai along with Daren Tan, head of Canon Penang branch.
“After a hiatus of two years, the Penang Hill Festival hopes to be more meaningful as it also celebrates the Penang Hill’s first year as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
“Penang is not only famed for its flavourful food but also for its rich natural heritage and cultural treasures. Penang Hill has a history dating back to the 1,700s and is a lush location with greenery, flora and fauna,” said Yeoh.
The three-day festival will see a variety of interesting programmes to fit both young and old. Among them are the “Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve Panel Session”, with prominent international speakers.
There is also a talk entitled “A Century-Year-Old-Tale of Penang Hill Railway Services” to explore its origins, the walking trails and the photography contest sponsored by Canon Malaysia.
However, the grand highlight will be the Music on the Hill – East Meets West where a range of musical sessions from classical to jazz are being featured.
Yeoh expressed his confidence that the Penang Hill Festival will further elevate the state government’s efforts to recover the tourism industry from the pandemic aftermath.