本人感到非常荣幸及高兴，能够代表槟州华人大会堂出席槟华堂文教组，光华日报及各
华团联办之《第13届把根留住端午节粽子品尝会》的盛大晚会，并祝今晚的粽子品尝会能够圆满成功举行，让大家能够大快朵颐，得以一尝各单位所呈献的不同品味粽子，藉此机会增进情谊，交换心得与交谊愉快。
各位，槟州华人大会堂一向来以鼓吹华人文化风俗及促进民族的传统习俗为己任，由把根留住所推行的一年多项民俗活动，包括端午节粽子品尝会，中秋节的月饼和灯笼制作比赛以及冬至吃汤圆等活动，已经成功在槟州各乡团之间推广开来，也使到年轻一代开始了解到华裔民族习俗的纪念性及其由来意义，例如端午节裹粽子，划龙舟等活动，是为了纪念华族爱国诗人屈原的事迹，纪念他为了忠心爱国不惜跳泊罗江殉国的伟大情操，而源远流长地流传下来。
可惜的是，今年由于百物涨价，粽子的价格已经飚涨得很高，尽管如此，民间还是照样庆祝端午节，品尝粽子，来纪念以及推广民间习俗，希望这项习俗能够在各界努力之下，年年推动下去。
本人刚才提到百物涨价，特别是由今年六月一日开始，电费开始涨价7巴仙，虽然不影响75巴仙的用户，可是却影响到工业及制造业以及一些受到天然气调整的产品，这包括运输业及面包食品的价格连锁性的涨价，令各界深感吃不消。鉴于电费及天然气涨价影响所及，正所谓牵一发动全身，国人必需要束紧腰带精明消费，勿再浪费资源以节省开销，来应付未来的百物腾涨，通膨的巨大影响。
在增加物价，老百姓们必须肩负重任的时刻，本人也吁请执政方面体恤民间痛苦，尽量避免一些奢侈计划的开销，开源节流，与老百姓共同抗拒物价高涨的严峻考验，才不至于令人民怨声载道。
同时本人也吁请严防各种含有致毒致癌的食品及饮料流入我国，例如台湾含塑化剂饮料顺利入口我国销售，政府必须即刻提防含毒致癌食品的注入及加以遏止，才能令人民健康不致受损！
最后，本人再次祝贺《第13届把根留住端午节粽子品尝会》的活动顺利地举行，各位参加者尽兴而归，身心愉快，万事如意。谢谢。
Dato’ Yeoh Chip Tong, Vice-chairman of Penang Chinese Town Hall
The 13th Rice dumplings tasting for Dragon Boat Festival
Date: 7:30 p.m. on 5th June 2011 (Sunday)
It gives me great pleasure to be here, on behalf of the Penang Chinese Town Hall, to say a few words at "the 13th Rice dumplings tasting for Dragon Boat Festival," organized by the Culture and Education Penang Chinese Town Hall , Kwong Wah Daily and Chinese Associations, I wish the tasting dumplings tonight held a great success. Tonight we can taste the various Associations presenting different tastes of dumplings, take this opportunity to promote friendship and exchange ideas. This event will strengthen the relationship between the different Chinese associations in Penang. With great pleasure, please express our appreciation with a round of warmest applause.
Ladies and gentlemen, it has always been the objective of Penang Chinese Town Hall to advocate and promote Chinese culture and customs. Penang Chinese Town Hall has keeping roots of traditional Chinese practices every year and carried out a number of folk activities, including rice dumplings tasting in the Dragon Boat Festival, moon cake tasting lanterns making competition in the Mid-Autumn Festival and other activities. These will enable younger generation to understand Chinese customs and to commemorate the cultural significance of its origins, such as rice dumplings wrapping in the Dragon Boat Festival. The activity is to commemorate the patriotic deeds of martyred poet Qu Yuan who drowned himself to protest against the fraudulent and corrupt practices of his country over 1,000 years ago. After his death, people started to throw rice dumplings in the river to prevent the fishes from eating his remains. The Dragon Boat Festival or Duan Wu Jie is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in the Chinese lunar calendar annually. All these events and activities would further strengthen the preservation of the Chinese traditions and culture.
Unfortunately, this year due to soaring prices, the prices of the materials for rice dumplings rise very high, though, people still celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, and enjoy rice dumplings to celebrate and promote folk customs and practices. We all hope that the customs and practices will go on.
I just talked about soaring prices, especially from June onwards, electricity prices will rise by 7%, although the small user will not be affected by the 7% increase, but it affects the industrial and manufacturing including transportation and the price of food chain increases, so that all of us will feel the effects. In view of the raise of electricity and natural gas prices, people will need to tighten their belts, to practice smart consumption without further waste of resources to save money to meet future soaring prices and the enormous impact of inflation.
All people have to bear the difficulties for the time being on the increase in prices. I also called upon the government to be sympathetic of the poor, do try to avoid the extravagant spending plans, and with the people together to resist the severe test of high prices.
I also appeal the authority to prevent a variety of toxic food and drink such as various types of those from Taiwan from entering into our country. The Government must immediately guard against toxic food. If left unchecked, the people's health will be damaged.
Finally, I once again congratulate " the 13th Rice dumplings tasting on Dragon Boat Festival or Duan Wu Jie " event to be held successfully. I wish all the participants good health and good luck. Thank you.