Event’s organising chairman Wong Kei Wei (fourth left) presented a memento to James, witnessed by Sii (fifth left), the local community leaders and other guests.
KAPIT (Feb 4): The Chinese Chamber of Commerce (KCCC) is seeking cooperation from Kapit District Council (KDC) to grant shorter periods for funfairs held in connection with festive celebrations such as the Chinese New Year, Gawai Dayak, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Christmas.
In making this call, the KCCC chairman Sii Bang Ee observed that in every festive celebration, the funfair would be set up at the town’s square and would typically run for a duration of one month.
According to him, the chamber had, at the end of last year, held a dialogue with the KDC councillors and secretary regarding the matter.
“In 2023, there were four funfairs held: during the Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Gawai Dayak and Christmas.
“We hope that for 2024, each funfair’s duration would be two weeks,” he said during the KCCC’s ‘Chinese New Year Dinner’ at a hotel here on Friday.
Sii said local businessmen were always looking forward to increasing sales during the festive seasons, but stiff competition from the funfairs was a challenge for them.
“Shop rentals are already very expensive when it comes to operating a business,” he added.
In addition, Sii also voiced out the chamber’s wish for the federal government to reconsider the move to increase the Sales and Services Tax (SST) from six to eight per cent, effective this March.
“In the post Covid-19 era, we are suffering as the cost of living is very high. Increasing the SST would further push up the cost of living, causing the people to suffer more.
“Thus, the commerce is appealing to the government to reconsider the decision to increase the SST.”
Further, Sii also urged the enforcement agencies, namely the police and Land Transport Department (JPJ) to act against the vehicle owners responsible for indiscriminate parking that obstructed traffic flow in town.
“Indiscriminate parking is a bane of the short and narrow road in our town.
“We hope the enforcement agencies could take action against errant vehicle owners, so as to solve this traffic problem.”
Later, Bukit Goram constituency service centre officer-in-charge James Sandak presented a government grant of RM5,000 from Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department (Native Laws and Customs) Datuk Jefferson Jamit, to the KCCC.