GEORGE TOWN, April 18 — Entrepreneurs, small business operators and even workers should not suffer from the Covid-19 pandemic in vain without reconfiguring their skills and enhancing their business acumen, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

He said the immediate concern for Penang and at the national level was for them to have what was required to regain the confidence to achieve national health and economic recovery in the post-Covid-19 era, which would take the combined efforts of everyone in generating economic activities.

"I am confident that Malaysians are game enough to pick ourselves up after suffering this bout of hard knocks which has truly tested everyone’s endurance.

"The longer it takes for our complete recovery, the more resilient we are becoming, forced by circumstances,” Chow said when officiating the seventh edition of the International Most Impact Awards (MIA) ceremony here today.

Jointly organised by the Malaysia Profession Influential Entrepreneurs Organisation (PIEO) and Asia Success Inc Branding Magazine, MIA consists of three types of awards, namely the International Most Impactful Awards (IMIA), Asia Most Impactful Awards (AMIA) and Malaysia Most Impactful Awards (MMIA).

At the ceremony today, 40 MMIAs were presented to individuals and industry representatives.

Among the 40 MMIA recipients was Penang Tourism, Arts and Creative Economy (PETACE) committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, who received "Malaysia Most Impactful Tourism Leadership and Innovation Award 2020-2021”. — Bernama