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- Awang Tengah (seventh left) and delegation members after the meeting with president of the Chennai Timber Merchants Association Raja Sekhar (eighth left).
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- Awang Tengah (third left), flanked by Aziz on his right and Consul-General of Malaysia in Mumbai Eldeen Husaini (on his left), leading the meeting with Bombay Timber Merchants Association chairman Shri Mohd Ikbal Chhrapa (second right).
KUCHING: Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan is now leading a 39-member delegation from Sarawak on a timber selling mission to Chennai and Mumbai, India.
The mission, which started on Monday (Dec 5) and ends tomorrow (Dec 10), aims to promote the sales and export of Sarawak timber products such as plywood and sawn timber.
It is also to strengthen bilateral trade and relationships, establish new and strengthen existing networks and also to enable delegation members to assess current economic and market situations.
The official functions scheduled to be held on Tuesday (Dec 6) in Chennai unfortunately were cancelled due to the demise of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram a day earlier.
Nevertheless, the delegation had the opportunity to receive an informal briefing by Ahmad Fajaruzam Abdul Jalil from the Consulate General of Malaysia in Chennai and Zuaziezie Zulkefli from Matrade that day.
Members of the delegation from Sarawak’s private sector had an informal business meeting with Indian timber buyers and potential importers in Chennai.
In Chennai, president of the Chennai Timber Merchants Association Raja Sekhar paid a courtesy call on Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Trade and Investment.
Yesterday, Awang Tengah and the delegation were briefed on the current development in India by Consul-General of
Malaysia in Mumbai, Eldeen Husaini Mohd Hashim, and his team which included the Trade Commissioner of Malaysia, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida), Immigration Department and Tourism Malaysia in Mumbai.
They also held a meeting with Bombay Timber Merchants Association there.
Among members of the delegation were Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) board of directors member Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Hussain, STIDC general manager Datu Sarudu Hoklai and Forest Department director Sapuan Ahmad.