SIBU, March 14: Sibu-born individuals have been urged to return to invest in the town as it heads toward achieving city status.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman, Clarence Ting in making this appeal at the official opening of Starlink Hotel here today said there are locals who had previously made money here but left to invest elsewhere.
“My goal as chairman of SMC is to make Sibu into a city as soon as possible. But we need our people to come back and invest here. I want them to come back to where they belong to,” he said.
Ting said Daesim Group of Companies chairman, Dato Lau Ngie Hua who owns the hotel, is an example of individuals who stayed behind to invest in the town.
“He started off as a night market hawker before opening his chain of general stores in Jalan Central. He later set up Star Mega Mall and now this hotel,” Ting said, adding Lau has shown the way for others to emulate.
Separately, Ting said the council will organise more events this year to attract visitors to the town despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
This move, he said, is to kick-start the local economy which had been heavily battered by the pandemic.
Ting said the recent Chinese New Bazaar 2022 held 10 days before the festival, had attracted over 90,000 visitors.
“Despite Covid-19, in 2022, we will continue to organise events to bring people to Sibu. Our next event at the central market for nine days is for the Ching Ming festival. We are collaborating with Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry to organise it,” he said.
A Ramadan Bazaar will follow after that then a 10-day Gawai Dayak Bazaar from May 19 to 29.
Ting said Borneo Cultural Festival which was shelved for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will also be organised this year.
“We will try to organise BCF despite the uncertainty due to the pandemic. Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Sebastian Ting will be here next week to discuss the matter in detail,” he said. — DayakDaily
