Wee speaking at the Chinese New Year gala dinner held at BCCK last night.
KUCHING (Feb 26): The Federation of Chinese Associations Kuching, Samarahan and Serian Divisions strives to serve as a vital bridge for two-way communication between the Sarawak government and the Chinese community, said its president Dato Richard Wee.
With over 120 member associations, Wee said the federation embodies the strength of the Chinese community and they will continue support the works of the state government from disaster relief assistance to fostering unity among the races.
“For cross-ethnic relations, we collaborate with other ethnic associations to organise activities in fashion designs, art, and food.
“In events organised by the Sarawak and federal governments, such as the Sarawak Day Parade and National Unity Week, we join hands with all ethnic groups to celebrate each other’s culture.”
Wee said this during a Chinese New Year gala dinner organised by the federation at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) last night.
In his speech, Wee also reminded the people that the Sarawak government was the first in the country in 2015 to recognise Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), as well as allocating annual grants for Chinese education since 2014, with a total of RM72 million distributed so far.
“With all these recognition and assistance from our Sarawak government, I would like to call on all Chinese school students and youths to join the civil service as their preferred career path to contribute to nation building and the future development of Sarawak.”
Wee also stressed that the federation fully supports Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s policy of providing free education to Sarawakians in state-owned universities beginning 2026.
As for the relocation of Kuching Chung Hua Middle School No 4, Wee said the new building at Jalan Stampin Baru is expected to take about five years to be completed and the state government intends to convert the listed heritage building situated at the existing location of the school into a Malay Cultural Museum.
“Meanwhile, the school board would like to assure parents and students that the current operations of the school and continuous enrolments of students will not be affected by the relocation plan,” he added.
Wee also expressed his gratitude to Abang Johari for allocating a piece of land for the construction of the federation’s new headquarters, as well as pledging a matching funds on a one-to-one basis.
Among those present was the federation’s vice president Kapitan Tan Kok Chiang, who is the organising chairman for the dinner.