The
32nd Anniversary of the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce,
The
18th Anniversary of the MCCC Young Entrepreneurs Committee, and
The
3rd Anniversary of the MCCC Women Entrepreneurs Committee
Gala
Dinner
17.06.2021
Speech
by Datuk Tan Yew Sing,
President
of the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce
Honourable
1.YB
Datuk Seri Ir. Dr. Wee Ka Siong, Minister of Transport of Malaysia
2.H.E.
Ouyang Yujing, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's
Republic of China to Malaysia
3.YB
Senator Datuk Lim Ban Hong, Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry
(MITI) of Malaysia
4.Dato’
Bong Siak Kee, Chairman of the Organising Committee
Distinguished
guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
Good
evening,
On
behalf of the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC), I sincerely welcome
you to celebrate with us our 32nd anniversary, the 18th Anniversary of the
Young Entrepreneurs Committee, and the 3rd Anniversary of Women Entrepreneurs
Committee. After more than two years, we finally meet again to celebrate this
auspicious occasion, and we are delighted to have 700 distinguished guests
joining us tonight.
After
two years of struggling against the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time for us
to jointly promote post-pandemic economic recovery. We call on all sectors of
the economy to leverage on the opportunities presented by both the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive
Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Together, let’s usher in new
growth and development through practical cooperation.
On
18 March, Malaysia officially joined the RCEP. RCEP has come under focused
discussions in ASEAN region due to the double blow of the pandemic and the
economic downturn, ASEAN countries are hoping that it can inject impetus into
the economic recovery of the region. RCEP is an regional FTA , initiated by ASEAN, incorporating other regional
economic powers such China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. It
covers a population of 2.3 billion people and 29% of the global GDP.
RCEP
main features includes abolishing of import taxes, promoting international
trade and investment liberalization, protecting intellectual property rights,
promoting cross-border e-commerce facilities, economic and technical
cooperation, etc. While complementing the Belt and Road Initiative, it also
allows participating countries to continue implementing their domestic laws and
regulations, including official procurement, and they do not have to open up their
market, but only ensure the transparency of information.
Both
RCEP and the Belt and Road Initiative aim to build a partnership rather than
alliance, to develop a globally interconnected international trade network,
reducing trade protectionism in participating countries.
In
this ever-changing era, all former presidents and council members of MCCC have
remained steadfast on our mission. They actively involved run promoting the
economy, trade and investment between Malaysia and China, while striving to be
diversified and open by encouraging the participation of entrepreneurs, who are
not familiar with Mandarin, helping them to get to know China better. We have
actively organized field trips and business delegations to China, participating
in major trade shows such as the Canton Fair and the China Marine Economy Expo,
serving as a platform for them to explore the Chinese market.
Thanks
to the efforts of our preceding councils and the activities they organized,
MCCC has been recognized by the governments and business organizations in both
Malaysia and China. Now most of our events and activities are conducted in both
Mandarin and English. While promoting cooperation with Chinese businesses, we
also focused on the interests of Malaysia to create a win-win and friendly
relationship.
As
for the next session of MCCC leadership, please allow me to share my thoughts
on ways forward for MCCC as the President for the past six years from a macro
perspective, I hope the new session of leadership will keep in mind two major
principles:
First,
Always bear in mind the founding mission of MCCC
We
must always remember that MCCC is a diverse and open organization. Diverse
means embracing all ethnic groups and encouraging different ideas; Open means
to avoid MCCC from becoming a closed elitist organisation. As a
service-oriented open business chamber, we should also keep on learning. Only
by adhering to these principles can we ensure sustainable growth.
Secondly,
Always strive to be better
We
must always strive to be better, and not just focusing on being the big in
quantity. There are wide variety of business chambers serving different
purposes in Malaysia. We should establish our own unique positioning and strive
do a good job in our services. Every organization has their own focus and
mission, so we should seek strategical cooperation with them, rather than pure
competition.
Tonight,
we are launching a commemorative publication on the history of MCCC with the
theme <Origin, Odyssey, Outlook>. This publication has recorded every
part of the history of MCCC since its inception, as well as the contributions
and achievements of our preceding presidents, councils, and members. Please
bring this commemorative book home before leaving tonight.
Last
but not least, hope you enjoyed the night as much as we enjoyed having you.
Thank you.