Image credit: Borneo Post Online
KUCHING (April 4): The Sarawak government is urged to take proactive steps to engage more Sarawak entrepreneurs and businesses to participate in the Malaysia-China economic co-operation initiated by the federal government, says Chong Chieng Jen.
The DAP Sarawak chairman said during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to China, which saw the historic signing of memorandum of understandings worth about RM170 billion, there were no representatives from Sarawak among the 19 signatories from Malaysia.
“By not pro-actively participating in the prime minister’s visit and not ensuring that the local Sarawak businesses participate in the trade contingent, the Sarawak government was not doing the Sarawak business community a favour.
“While Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is continuously harping on its self-serving ‘Sarawak First’ slogan, it will do the business community and the people of Sarawak no benefits with SUPP’s attitude to dissociate itself and the Sarawak business community from federal policies and initiatives.
“Such parochial attitude of the SUPP will make Sarawak’s business sector fall further behind our counterparts in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Stampin MP said Anwar had shown the right direction for the country by spearheading an inter-governmental and economic cooperation between Malaysia and China.
“The warm reception shown by the Chinese government to our prime minister during his visit has paved the way for more economic co-operation between China and Malaysia.
“It would thus be unwise of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government not to take full advantage of such initiatives and opportunities.
“The glaring absence of Sarawak businesses in the prime minister’s entourage was a missed opportunity for Sarawak’s business community and Sarawakians,” he said.
Chong said it is therefore incumbent upon the GPS-led state government to ensure that Sarawak businesses would not be left out of future opportunities.
“With the presence of GPS’ five ministers and six deputy ministers in the federal government, more should be done to uplift Sarawak’s economy and to generate more job opportunities for the state,” he said.
He called upon GPS to make more effort to ensure that Sarawak’s business community could tap into the opportunities which are opened up by the prime minister’s visit.
“The focus of the GPS government should be on how to uplift Sarawak’s economy and help economic recovery rather than to sulk over the failure of one deputy minister to notify the state government of her half-day visit to Sarawak,” he said.
Source: https://www.theborneopost.com/2023/04/04/chong-urges-swak-govt-to-take-part-in-malaysia-china-economic-cooperation/