SIBU: Automotive repairs can be a very promising industry in view of the increasing number of vehicles on the road each year, observes Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
According to him, the majority of Malaysians can afford to own cars.
“It is common for one family to have several cars. Thus, automotive repairs can be considered as a promising industry.
“But we must also realise that if our craft is not as good as others, and our attitude is not sincere, we would eventually lose the trust of and support from our customers.
“I wish to encourage the industry players to keep abreast with the latest information and also to explore relevant knowledge and technologies,” he said in his address for the Sibu Automobile Repairers Association (Sara)’s pre-Chinese New year gathering at a hotel here on Saturday night, which also doubled as the installation ceremony of the association’s executive committee (exco) for the 2020-2021 term.
Tiong’s text-of-speech, which was in Mandarin, was read by his representative, Councillor Joshua Ting.
Councillor Teo Nging Poh, who was re-elected as Sara chairman, led his exco in the oath-taking ceremony – witnessed by Pelawan assemblyman David Wong, Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting and Joshua.
Adding on, Tiong said in the context of the development of the Internet, the automotive industry had been moving ‘much faster and more accurately’.
He said the trend should be to pursue advancement, with many automobile engines ‘becoming more sophisticated than before’.
Thus, he said those in the industry should keep up with the times.
In this respect, he observed that many companies had been continuously improving the users’ experience, and they also had strong technical strength in the development and usage of ‘Big Data’.
“Therefore, our local automotive repairs industry must be aligned with this aspect.
“If you have certain abilities, you can consider encouraging employees to train in other countries, learn the latest professional knowledge, or invest in the latest maintenance instruments or equipment, so that car manufacturers can be more competitive in this market, (and) provide better car repair services.
“Only by continuously improving the services would be the long-term policy of attracting customers.
“What’s more important is ‘honesty’. When the customer entrusts a car to you, it is necessary to provide the best repair services.
“The customer’s road safety is the first principle to win their trust,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tiong called upon Sara to always remember to give back to the community, through the running of welfare activities.
Later at the event, study incentives were also presented to Sara members’ children who excelled in last year’s public examinations, as well as those who performed well in their tertiary education.
Four charitable bodies also received contributions from Sara – namely Sibu Kidney Foundation, National Cancer Society of Malaysia Sibu Chapter, Association for Children with Special Needs Sibu, and Sibu Methodist Children’s Home.