FOR PROSPERITY: Wee (fifth right) with committee members of ACCCIM and ACCCIS proposing a toast to delegates at the dinner. — Photo by Winter Chai
KUCHING: The government must bridge the infrastructure development gap between East and West Malaysia to truly reflect the 1Malaysia spirit.
This call came from deputy president of Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sarawak (ACCCIS) Lee Khim Sin, who lamented that Sarawak and Sabah fell far behind when it came to roads, basic amenities and services.
“There is a dire need for the government to focus on developing the two East Malaysian states, which still lag behind in terms of physical development compared to their counterparts in West Malaysia.
“Now that the Barisan Nasional government has been returned to power, it should accelerate the various transformation plans to keep Sarawak and Sabah on par with West Malaysian states,” he told a welcoming dinner for over 600 delegates of the 67th annual general meeting of Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) at Thian Court here Friday.
Lee, who is also the organising chairman, believed that the income per capita for Sarawak and Sabah would go up if the infrastructure in the two states were more developed.
“We earnestly hope that the federal government will take the development of Sarawak seriously. We are already way behind and cannot afford to go further backward.”
He also hoped that delegates from outside the state would return to the city in future for not just as tourists but also to explore business opportunities.
Meanwhile, ACCCIM deputy president Datuk Ter Leong Yap thanked ACCCIS for hosting the dinner as well as the meeting, which took place yesterday.
He said the national body would continue to play its role in enhancing the competitiveness and capacity of businessmen in the nation.
“The attendance this time around is encouraging and reflects the unity of Chinese chambers and commerce,” he said, adding that this would enhance the synergy among businessmen in the nation and spur more economic activities in Malaysia. Among those present was president of ACCCIS Datuk Wee Kok Tiong.