By Nigel Edgar
KUCHING, Aug 3: The Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg wants the Teochew clan of Sarawak to work together closely with their clan from China to bring in their technical and economic expertise into Sarawak to contribute to the state’s development.
Sharing the state’s road map to becoming a developed state by the year 2030, he said Sarawak has been working very closely with China in terms of technological expertise, and therefore called upon the Sarawak Teochew Sim Clan Association to collaborate with the state government to realise the state’s ambition.
“I share with you our road map in terms of economic development and I’m sure that you will continue to contribute your expertise to make Sarawak a very strong state in Malaysia by the year 2030.
“Don’t bother about other people, only Sarawak can look after Sarawak and I look forward to working together with the Teochew Association,” he addressed the Sarawak Teochew Sim Clan Association 35th Anniversary Celebration here on Friday night (Aug 2).
More than 1,000 members of the Teochew Sim clan from all over the globe got together at the celebration to attend a three-day conference which began yesterday.
Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Kuching Cheng Guang Zhou, Sarawak Teochew Sim Clan Association President Sim Moh Khian and organising chairman Sim Kiang Chiok were present.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari also encouraged the Teochew Sim clan members as well as other members of the Sarawak Chinese community to protect Sarawak’s uniqueness where every Sarawakians regardless of their racial backgrounds can get together, eat together at the same table and even have blended families without any issues.
“That is something unique in Sarawak. We got no problem here. We can get together, eat together, and use chopsticks to eat. In some states (in the Peninsula), if Malays use chopsticks to eat, they would be looked down on. But here no problem. Even I use chopsticks to eat, everybody also use chopsticks to eat, it has become our culture.
“And that is the beauty of Sarawak and we must protect this culture. Do not let anybody into Sarawak if they want to destroy this,” he emphasised.
Abang Johari also highlighted on the state government’s stand to recognise the Chinese schools’ Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) with the hopes that UEC graduates would be able to continue their studies in China and gain knowledge on China’s rapidly advancing technology, and bring back the knowledge to Sarawak.
“We can send our students there. We are also collaborating with Huawei because I want to go for digital economy, and Huawei is the expert and specialist in 5G hardware. We in Sarawak also want to set up 5G connectivity, so that it would enable you to link with your relatives in China,” he added.— DayakDaily
