Hii (third right) checks out a closed-circuit television (CCTV) booth at the event.
SIBU: The Sibu Jaya business community should group under an umbrella organisation and work together as a team to succeed, said Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) president Dr Gregory Hii.
“As president of SCCCI, I am more than willing to share my experiences and assist the Sibu Jaya business community in forming a group that will put them on a better footing to work with the authorities concerned.
“Speak with a united voice, group under an umbrella organisation, work in unison, and always do all these with reason,” he said.
Hii was speaking at the launching of Pesta Sibu Jaya as part of the ongoing Fiesta Sibu Jaya, which entered its sixth night on Wednesday.
Praising the business community for their tenacity and acumen, he said it was timely for them to consider coming together as a group.
“From what I can see, Sibu Jaya has embarked on a new chapter and the business communities must evolve as well. You can no longer expect to do things the way you used to,” he pointed out, while expressing hope that the business community in Sibu Jaya would find common grounds to work together as a team.
Hii added the advent of technology has changed the way businesses operate and that the people of Sibu Jaya must adapt and be adept.
“Our mindset must also change. I remember when I was a councillor in Sibu Municipal Council, and we decided to implement certain changes. There was a lot of hue and cry. But in the end it was proven that those changes were necessary for the town to grow,” he related.
On Sibu Jaya, he said business operators must understand that they cannot expect a free ride forever.
“You need to evolve. You need to work with the authorities.
“You need to work with your competitors.
“Whatever methods that worked in the past should not be used as a reason for continuing with such methods, especially if it does not bode well for the township’s future.”
The Fiesta Sibu Jaya, which has seen an average nightly turnout of several thousand people, ends this coming Sunday, with Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) deputy chairman Robert Lau Hui Yew scheduled to speak at the closing ceremony.