India hopes to further engage Penang and work towards mutual benefits

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INDIA is hoping to bring their relationship with Penang to the next level through engagements which would benefit both parties.

High Commissioner of India to Malaysia Mridul Kumar said the relationship between the Indian government and Malaysia was ‘fertile’.

“We are very sure that with that kind of connection we have, there are a lot that we can put together.

“We want to work together with Penang towards a common objective – to develop both our countries and to bring prosperity to the people.

“It is in this spirit that I come here to seek your guidance and advice, and also to congratulate you on your appointment as the Penang Chief Minister,” Mridul said during his courtesy visit on Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow at his office in Komtar today.

High Commissioner of India to Malaysia Mridul Kumar paying a courtesy call on Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

This was his first visit to Penang.

He said there were a lot of complementarities that could be achieved between Penang and India.

Mridul was proposing to Chow to consider the possibility of complimenting Penang’s expertise in manufacturing with India’s strength in software research and development.

“If you can find some time in your schedule, we can bring you around for you to see what we have done in India.

“We can look out for common sectors that we have complementarity (and work on them) so that both Penang and the various states in India can have mutual benefits,” he said.

Mridul said Chow’s vision for Penang was very much the same as what India was trying to achieve.

“The kind of vision that you have for Penang is very similar to what we are trying to achieve in India – the flood mitigation plans, improving transportation system and development of people,” he said.

Mridul also named the three major destinations where Indian tourists love to visit – Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Genting Highlands.

Chow thanked Mridul for his courtesy visit.

“There are rooms for cooperation. India is a big market.

“Recently, we reached out to the Indian market and hosted 120 tour operators in Penang,” Chow said.

Chow and Mridul exchanged mementoes at the end of the 30-minute discussion.

Story by Christopher Tan

Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud