Chong (second right) alongside Wong (right) and Yong (center) having a look at locally-made cooking oil at a booth at the carnival. Photo by Chimon Upon
KUCHING: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) aims to increase the people’s perception on Malaysian-made products through the ‘Buy Malaysian Product Campaign Carnival’.
According to its Deputy Minister Chong Chieng Jen, this is because such products also hold significant value in terms of standard and quality.
He remarked that the people’s mindset deeming that imported products were of high quality and standard was a misconception.
“We have found out that only 40 per cent of Malaysians deemed Malaysian-made products are of the best standard – while the remaining 60 per cent perceived them as ‘sub-standard’.
“Our products, even though cheaper, also have high quality as not all of them are at sub-standard levels,” Chong said when officiating the Buy Malaysian Products Campaign Carnival held at MJC Batu Kawa here yesterday night.
He asserted that foreign countries such as China and Indonesia have looked up to Malaysian-made products as they were associated with quality.
As such, he revealed that billions of manufactured goods have been exported from Malaysia every year – which in turn has contributed to about 38 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
On another matter, the ‘Buy Malaysian Product Campaign Carnival’ was held alongside the state-level ‘Small Businesses and Vendors Day’ celebration, taking place on Oct 18 to 20 at MJC Batu Kawa.
The campaign serve as an initiative by the government to assist local small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) in marketing their products to the people as well as promoting locally-made products.
Aside from that, the Young Entrepreneurs Carnival organised by the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) was also held in conjunction with the campaign in an effort to cultivate the interest of entrepreneurship among youths.
Also present at the event were Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii, Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong and Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei.