Sarawak extends trade opportunities to Singapore, Hong Kong & Macao

Abang Johari (fourth left) and others witness the exchange of MoU between SBF and Singapore Business Federation at CMIEA 2019 Awards and Gala Night.

By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, Oct 26:  Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg urges Singapore, Hong Kong and Macao to explore business opportunities in Sarawak and optimise resources the State can offer.

He shared the direction of the Sarawak economy and its environment to the invited business communities from the three cosmopolitan cities.

“We hoped that the delegates from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macao have a good discussion with our Sarawak business community,” said Abang Johari at Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) Third Gala Nite and Chief Minister’s Industry Excellence Awards (CMIEA) 2019 held here on Friday evening.

He said such a discussion will bring about a good relationship not only to economics but the social relationship between Sarawak and these cities.

In particular to the Singapore business community, Abang Johari reiterated to them what he had recently at the opening of Sarawak Tourism and Trade Office Singapore (STATUS) to explore the state fisheries, raw materials for furniture, the environment to explore renewal energy especially water from the dam, state tourism, bio-diversity for medicinal purposes and help to enhance digital economy.

He hoped that STATOS can tap on all these opportunities so that both Sarawak and Singapore business communities can benefit and help the state economy.

Abang Johari said with the investment Sarawak put in the basic infrastructure and the business incentives to its business community, the state expected economic growth of six per cent or more in the next 5 to 6 years

“With the SBF and Singapore Business Federations, we have a common platform now. It just a matter of forming apps to work together under digital connectivity,” he said.

Abang Johari believed that Sarawak Tourism and Trade offices in Pontianak Kalimantan, Brunei Darussalam and Singapore, the state will have strategic partners to develop its business opportunities in this region.

The night also saw the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchange between SBF and Singapore Business Federation and MoU of exchange between SBF and Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong and Macao).

To witness the presentation and MoU exchanges on stage were SBF President Datuk Abang Abdul Karim Tun Openg and the CMIEA Organising Chairlady Angie Kueh.

Deputy Chief Ministers Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Senior Minister of State Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore Chee Hing Tat and Deputy High Commissioner of Singapore to Malaysia, Loy Hui Chien were also present at the Gala Dinner. — DayakDaily