Members of the Federation of Chinese Associations of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions donating supplies and personal protective equipment to Sarawak Heart Centre.
THE Chinese community in Malaysia has historically proven to be one of the strongest pillars supporting the economy and in nation building since independence, said Dato Richard Wee.
Being predominantly involved in business, the president of Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations said many from the community began as small-time traders before building themselves into small and medium enterprises, and then eventually moving up to become bigger industry players.
“It is undeniable that the Chinese community has for the past decades made critical contributions towards the development of the country’s economy while providing job opportunities along the way to assist in nation building,” he told The Borneo Post in a special Malaysia Day interview.
However, in order to continue contributing to the development of the country, the community now needs to look beyond its ‘traditional’ economic sectors and be prepared to shift to emerging industries, he stressed.
“Basically, the backbone of the economy will still be dependent on the structure of the country, and the current industries are still the backbone of the country.
“However to me, I think the reality is that transformation is inevitable and it will slowly catch up with the existing economic sectors through the advancement of technology which has already transformed the world gradually,” he said.
Wee said aside from the Chinese community, other communities and economic sectors in the country are also trying to keep up with the transformation taking place now – this includes the agriculture sector which is now incorporating technology to enhance business.
“But the kind of transformation that we are looking at heavily depends on the kind of infrastructure that are put in place by the government. The entire ecosystem has to be there first before the people can ride on the infrastructure that the government is considering to install.”
The Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations, led by Wee (third right), donating 10 units of high-flow oxygen devices worth RM226,000 to the intensive care unit of Sarawak General Hospital.
In this regard, he said the Sarawak government has always been a business-friendly government, with its policies clearly outlined in the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 plan to chart the state’s economy in the post-pandemic era.
He said in order to achieve the targets listed in PCDS 2030, many individuals and chambers of commerce are encouraging businesses to embrace the kind of efforts the government is putting together.
“No doubt the pandemic has accelerated these transformation efforts. It is also important to note that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg had outlined his vision of digital economy way before the pandemic, so in a way, the chief minister sort of has a ‘longer’ vision.
“He understands that embracing digital economy is essential for the future of the local business community, and the Covid-19 pandemic has expedited efforts to persuade business owners to embark on digital transformation.”
Touching on the pandemic in Sarawak which has affected every segment of society, Wee on behalf of the business community said he is grateful to the state government for rolling out various financial aid packages to lower the cost of doing business.
He said during the critical health crisis brought about by the pandemic, the Chinese community represented by the federation and its divisional branches across the state had played their role in answering the government’s calls for assistance and solidarity.
“All our divisional branches did what they could to provide financial assistance in the form of food aid and whatever kind of assistance required by the frontliners, as well as the hospitals.
“Our members had been very active since the pandemic struck last year in supporting the badly-affected communities and attempting to lessen their financial stress.
“From our point of view, we feel proud that we have been able to contribute in our own ways,” he added.
Wee said the federation had only recently contributed a total of RM474,102 to the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) relief fund to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We managed to get over 15,000 donors to contribute to the fund and eventually it had totalled to a sum of over RM400,000. We are just proud that our federation could rally more than 15,000 donors to donate to the fund.”
He said the Federation of Chinese Associations of Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions had already contributed supplies and equipment worth over RM1 million since last year, including food aid those in need and personal protective equipment to medical frontliners.
Dato Richard Wee
Moving on to racial harmony, Wee said Sarawak is highly regarded for her unique cultural landscape where communities of different race and religion embrace each other.
“You know, we have many friends and business associates in West Malaysia and they are always full of envy at what we enjoy here in Sarawak.
“The situation in Sarawak is definitely different compared with that of West Malaysia. We are in a much stronger position,” he said.