PCCC won’t stop secretary from organising CNY event
GEORGE TOWN:
The Penang Chinese Clan Council (PCCC) will not stop its executive secretary Kwoh Shoo Chen from striking out on her own to organise the Penang Chinese New Year Celebrations 2018.
However, its chairman Anthony Chang said Kwoh should refrain from using the term miao hui (temple festival in Chinese) as part of the event name.
He said miao hui was a label used for years by the PCCC, the Penang Clan Associations Youth Committee and the cultural team, all of which would not be participating.
“She is holding the celebration in her personal capacity and not as PCCC.
“While PCCC will not be involved, we will not stop Kwoh from organising the event on her own,” he told reporters after a meeting at the Meng Eng Soo Temple here yesterday.
Chang said should any problem arise during the event, it should not be associated with PCCC, adding that it stood by its decision not to take part due to various issues over funding as well as disagreements with the state government.
He also denied rumours of PCCC wanting to sack Kwoh, saying that this was untrue and it was never discussed in the meeting.
Kwoh, who was present during the press conference, said she would discuss with her team about the miao hui label and gave assurance that the event would go on as planned.
PCCC and the state government have had strained ties for a few years over funds for previous Chinese New Year celebrations.
The council has insisted many times that the state government owed it money.
Relations broke down further after the state government seized a pre-war shophouse in Love Lane linked to an influential Chinese society called Ghee Hin in the 1800s.
The PCCC claimed that there was an agreement in principle for it to be handed the property to manage on behalf of the Chinese community but the state government failed to do so, citing legal issues.
It was reported earlier that the celebration Kwoh was organising would be themed “Searching For the Beauty of Penang”.
It will be held at the George Town heritage enclave along Gat Lebuh Armenian and Lebuh Cannon on Feb 25. Kwoh said she managed to rope in 95 volunteers, 16 performers, 57 hawkers and 15 cultural units.