Don’t look down on yourselves, hawkers told

0

Chiong affixes his signature to take up the association’s chairman post, witnessed by Tiong (centre) and Yow.

SIBU: Traders are advised not to look down on themselves as just being a hawker.

In giving this advice, honorary permanent chairman of United Sibu Division and Meradong District Hawkers’ Association, Tan Sri Datuk Tiong Su Kouk, said being a hawker is a profession.

“It is important that we should not think lowly of ourselves that we do not have other abilities and that it holds no future for us.

“It is also imperative that we should have self-confidence that will motivate us to be successful,” he said when addressing as guest of honour at the installation ceremony of office-bearers for the term 2019-2021 of the United Sibu Division and Meradong District Hawkers’ Association at a leading hotel here on Saturday night.

Chiong Siong Nguong was officially installed as the main committee’s chairman for another term, with Yu Shung Mieng as youth section chairman and Ting Ming Gio as women section’s chairperson.

Tiong who rose to be a renown corporate figure from a hawker in his younger days pointed out that those with self-confidence definitely have a bright future and others devoid of self-confidence would ‘block’ their development of creativity which leads to failure.

“Thus those youth who aspire to become entrepreneurs may start as a hawker to gradually ‘climb up the ladder of success’ towards their desired goal.

“They should not look down on the business of one ringgit or 50 sen as a start because every type of business will take time to grow as I, myself, had experienced and undergone the process towards larger business dealings.

“I started from a very small business as a hawker at a young age of 14 selling fish in the market. That’s where I grew up as a hawker and as time went by, I have also learnt a lot of business acumen in the market,” he enthused.

This, he said, had led him be far-sighted in business.

Every type of trade undertaking has its challenges, sacrifice and value, he said, adding no matter the type of business one is involved in so long as one has self-confidence one would succeed.

Tiong advised the hawkers to remember that though being involved in business is to earn money, they should not lose trust and integrity such as by not selling counterfeit goods and cheating.

In his speech earlier, Chiong said the association was formed so as to have a united voice looking after welfare of the members and to uplift the status of hawkers.

He said hawkers also contributed to the nation’s economy.

He also pointed out that in this modern era, hawkers should discard their old-fashioned way of thinking but to be creative and innovative in order to cope with changing times and ways of doing business.

On the new line-up of the association’s committee, Chiong hoped that they would discharge their responsibilities well to bring the association to greater heights of success.

President of Malaysia United Associations of Petty Traders and Hawkers, Datuk Yow Boon Choon, was also present.