GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow today extended his sympathies and condolences to King Charles III, the House of Windsor, as well as the United Kingdom on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Chow said, like many others in his generation, he grew up not knowing any other ruling British monarch apart from the Queen.
He said with a record-breaking 70-year reign marked by the Platinum Jubilee earlier this year, many would agree that the Queen's presence over the past seven decades has been a bedrock of stability and comfort against a fast-changing global landscape.
"The Queen's steadfast devotion throughout her life-long service to the Crown, her country, her people and the citizens of the Commonwealth of Nations may never be matched. Tributes pouring in from all corners of the world across countless generations and nationalities is a solid testament of the love and respect that befits a much beloved Queen.
"The pages of history would show that the Queen granted our George Town with city status by way of a royal charter back in January 1957. Indeed, Penang was also privileged to have hosted the Queen and the late Duke of Edinburgh in the 1970s.
"It is of profound sadness that the sun has set on the Second Elizabethan era. Though a new reign will be welcomed in the fullness of time, Her Majesty's absence will be surely and sorely missed. Thank you Ma'am, for everything," he said.
Queen Elizabeth passed away at the age of 96 at Balmoral, in Scotland. She was the longest reigning monarch in British history.