Tengah: Cooperate in facing global challenges

LAWAS: Each and every community must not keep to themselves as such attitude will not help them to progress in today’s borderless world, said Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Datuk Amar Haji Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.

He said every community must be prepared to accept globalisation and allow foreign investors to help them develop all aspects of the local economy, especially the small and medium industries sector.

Speaking at the opening of the Lawas Chinese Commerce and Industries building on Saturday, Tengah said that with the involvement of outside investors, the private sector and the local business community would be able to focus on economic growth to uplift the income of every community in the district, regardless of race and belief.

He also wanted to see the local business community and the Bumiputeras to develop the small and medium industries (SMIs) which have great potential for development as proven by small nations like Taiwan and others.

“All aspects of development in the agriculture, plantation, fisheries and SMIs sectors can be promoted via our neighbouring country which has good communication and marketing network for halal products with the Middle East countries.

“Networking cooperation without borders will hopefully help to develop Lawas District economically without so much dependency on the government which will continue to provide basic infrastructure facilities like roads and others,” said Tengah.

He said that at the same time, the construction of the new airport, a coastal port and good road network to link Limbang and Lawas with Brunei and Sabah would spur more development in the northern region of Sarawak.

Besides that, enhanced cooperation with Brunei and Sabah in the communication aspect would witness better links in both districts with the outside world than previously, he added.

“Current development in relationships with our neighbours in the region promises plenty opportunities in the tourism sector because the top leaders in Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak have agreed in turns to host various cultural carnivals and events with promotions conducted together to attract more tourists to the region,” explained Tengah.

He reminded the business community in the district to fully utilise allocations for development projects to enhance their income and indirectly contribute to the growth of the local economy.

“We want to see the Lawas Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industries as the pulse for development projects and to ensure that the business community here would work out solutions to prevent price hikes in building materials so that outflow of cash can be prevented and ploughed back to benefit the local community,” he said.

He called on all communities in the district to help reduce the price of building materials by using local materials and products which would be cheaper than imported ones.

On the hydro projects in Limbang and Lawas, electricity produced would be sold to Brunei and Sabah which currently were having supply problem, while the water treatment project in Trusan would resolve water supply problems in the district.

Also present at the ceremony were Members of Parliament for Lawas Datuk Henry Sum Agong, Ba’ Kelalan state assemblyman Nelson Balang Rining, Sarawak Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industries chairman Sia Hieng Ngie, Lawas CCCI chairman Cr Tan Hua H’ng and local dignitaries.

Sarawak tribune @ Adeng Idrus
Monday, 02 August 2010