Speech By Yang Di Pertua KCCI On 5th Installation Nite

10 November, 2007

“Kopivosian om Kounsikaan,” Welcome,Salam Sejahtera ,Selamat Hari Raya to our guest of honour YB Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Minister in the Prime Minister Department and Puan Sri, the KCCI immediate past President ,YB Datuk Dr. Marcus Mojigoh and Datin, KCCI Advisor Datuk Ajit Galun and Datin, President of DPBS,  President of FSM , President of MICCI, Representative of SUCCC, the Organizing Chairman En Carl Moosom, KCCI Supreme Councils, YB Tan Sri ,Datuk-Datuk Seri, YB-YB, Datuk-Datuk and Datin, KCCI  members , members of the press, distinguish guest, ladies and gentleman.

“In a globalize world, competition comes to us even if we do not seek it” says our Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Ahmad Abdullah Badawi.  And what is competition?  Competition is good for us provided there is a level playing field. And this is precisely what KCCI has been working very hard to make the State and Federal Government aware on the need for a level playing field for the KDM business community. All we want is what the government has accorded to the Malay businesses in terms of opportunities and assistance be extended similarly to the KDM businesses accordingly. I believe our GOH Tan Sri Bernard G. Dompok can give us some insight or enlighten us later in his speech the seriousness of the State and Federal Government in assisting the KadazandusunMurut business community.

But the greatest challenge of all for KCCI today is to make the KDM community more aware or conscious that the path to our bright future lies in our greater involvement in commerce, to instill entrepreneurial spirits and create awareness of ample business opportunities in order to realize the noble objective of creating a viable KadazandusunMurut business community. Our vision and overriding concern has always been, and still is, to see that the KadazandusunMurut community continues to progress and prosper, as owners of capital and investment on the local, national and international stage. KCCI believes that the time has come for the community to move away from the low productive sector of the economy, chiefly small-scale farming, to the more lucrative and challenging commercial and industrial enterprises, with focus on modern agriculture, hospitality and music industry without compromising on our traditional values and culture.

We are especially proud of the role and achievements of the KCCI in the last 12 years which saw the implementation of programs or activities such as training seminars, conventions, forums, congress, study tours or visits, publications, courtesy calls and net-workings to promote and enhance closer business relationship not only within the KadazandusunMurut business community but also with the other business communities. We are certainly not there as yet, but it is our ardent hope that, through the activities of the KCCI, more KadazandusunMurut businessmen, with unbending resolve and fierce commitment, will be able to overcome their shortcomings and succeed in business. In their speeches during the Dinner, both Presidents of the two Chambers pledged to continue to work together through a proposed joint working committee on a permanent basis for the common benefits of their members.

One of the crowning successes of the KCCI is the close cooperation and strategic alliances forged with top government leaders, agencies and departments, both at the Federal and State levels. KCCI fought for the rights of our business community to enjoy government support and access the numerous programs and business opportunities afforded by the Federal and State Governments. The KCCI will continue to serve as a voice of the KadazandusunMurut business community to ensure their voice is being heard, their problems recognized and acted upon by the relevant authorities. We are grateful to YB Tan Sri Bernard G. Dompok who has provided us guidance and assistance in various forms as Minister in the Prime Minister Department. We are also thankful to YB Senator Tan Sri Mohd Nor Yakcop, Minister of Finance II for providing KCCI an immediate grant of RM500,000.00  for our awareness programs and subsequently made as he had promised during our recent congress a specific allocation of  RM800M for Bumiputera of Sabah and Sarawak for the year 2008 budget.

The KCCI is a fully functioning non-governmental organization dedicated to the service of the small KadazandusunMurut business community. We applaud the vision of our founding leaders who not only saw the need of the community for united action, but who had acted timely with great wisdom and sheer determination to overcome numerous obstacles in order to make the KCCI a reality today.

We are greatly indebted to the founding President, Datuk Ajit Galun, and the founding Supreme Council members, for their dedication and hard work, without which, the KCCI would not have achieved the official and public recognition it rightly deserved today. The founding leaders have set firm foundation for the future success of KCCI. It is now our duty, as leaders and members of the KCCI, to continue the struggle and finish the unfinished jobs.   

For those members who had committed and serve the chambers previously in whatever capacity, we wish to convey our gratitude for your unselfish contribution to the chamber and KDM business community of which your services shall be remembered for generations to come.

The KCCI under our immediate past President, Datuk Dr Marcus Makin Mojigoh, with his leadership and wisdom saw the KCCI achieved great recognition of the KadazandusunMurut community for being able to get the Federal EPU Department identified ethnic category in the government economic statistics of which KDM use to be lump in as Bumiputera and with the eventual setting up of a sub unit in the Implementation coordination Unit (ICU) in the Prime Minister Department to monitor the economic participation of KDM. With the official statistics which indicated a negligible percentage of economic participation by KDM community, the State and Federal Government can now readily identify specific problems affecting the Kadazandusun community and formulate relevant programs to remedy the economic shortcomings and ensure no single community is left behind in their quest for progress and development by year 2020.

With the newly elected and to be installed KCCI Supreme Council members for 2007/2010 term, we are now on the threshold of greater challenge to bring the KCCI to greater heights. The KCCI, under my leadership, is dedicated to the service of our business community.  As we turn to the next chapter of KCCI short history;

• We shall continue to uphold the vision, mission and objectives of the KCCI set forth by our able and visionary founding leaders.

• We shall continue to dedicate ourselves to the vision of creating a viable KadazandusunMurut business community in all sectors of the economy.

• We believe that transparency and integrity should be the benchmark for all decision making process, and we undertake to ensure that our team runs the affairs of the KCCI in a transparent manner, putting the interest of the KCCI before self.

• We shall be open to new ideas and constructive criticism and encourage debate among members on policy issues to ensure that the vision, mission, objectives, programs, strategies and approaches of the KCCI continue to be relevant to the coming generation.

• We shall continue to create awareness and impart business skills through training, seminars, publications, etc and provide ample avenues for members of the community to get assistance or access to business opportunities in the      government and private sectors.

• We shall continue to promote and ensure greater business exposure among members of the KCCI through appointments in government-link Companies (GLC) as part of the capacity building measures undertaken by KCCI.

• We shall encourage contacts and close cooperation between KCCI and other Chambers of commerce and other NGO in the country working together as partners and mutually supporting each other in order to promote the larger interest of the chamber as a whole. As an example, KCCI had on July this year organized jointly with DCCI an inaugural Gawai Kaamatan Festival celebration in Penampang as part of our means of networking. This was followed with the historic and successful launching of the first Borneo International Trade Fair in Kota Kinabalu whereby more than 42,000 visitors visited the 200 or so booths exhibitions Trade Fair which was jointly organized by KCCI, SUCCC and DPBS.

• We shall continue to dedicate, commit and focus ourselves in our respective businesses come what may while serving the chamber and constantly reminding ourselves that the most important thing in life is not to capitalize on our gains. Any fools can do that. The really important thing is to profit from our Losses that require intelligence and it make the difference between a man of sense and a fool.  

• We shall continue to support the State and Federal government, especially the relevant government policies and programs, designed to promote effective Bumiputera participation in commerce and industry and to make firm representation of the concerns and desires of the KadazandusunMurut business community without fear or favor.

                              
We are happy to announce that the KCCI has just purchased its own 4 storey building. We planned to put up a KCCI Business Centre whereby members who do not wish to have an office for their businesses or outstation members can use it as their address in Kota Kinabalu, a calling centre, an information centre and to use the
available meeting and office room provided as and when they require it. There will be a special purpose hall for Business Training Centre as KCCI will focus and emphasize on skill and entrepreneurship training for our members in the coming months and possibly an Incubator Office Suites if the need arise for the benefit of our members.  This premise should be ready to provide services to KCCI members by 1st quarter of 2008.

 KCCI had declared recently in Labuan the setting up of 7 District Liaison Committee (DLC) throughout the country namely KL DLC, Labuan DLC, Keningau DLC, KK DLC, Sandakan DLC, Tawau DLC, and Kudat DLC with Labuan being the first DLC launched duly headed by En. Gedi Baching and committee. This will be followed by soon to be launched KL DLC to be headed by Datuk Lawrence Sinsua and committee and Keningau DLC to be headed by En William Thomas Kokou.  These DLCs shall act as branches in order to decentralize our operations to better serve our members in the country. Tonight, KCCI is re-launching its website for efficient, effective access and dissemination of information for KCCI members and therefore urge members to fully utilize this facility to update themselves with KCCI programs and to use the provided e-banking facility in paying their subscriptions.

 KCCI has also initiated in the setting up of a working committee to look into the development of a suitable concept and framework of investment vehicle for KDM community in order for us to better enjoy the economic wealth of the country in future. On this note, on behalf of KCCI I take this opportunity to call upon all KDM businesses and professionals to come forth especially to those who are more established and successful in businesses and in their professions to be proactive in finding ways and means in enhancing our advantage working as a group in order to maximize our synergy.

Last but not least, I wish to congratulate the Organizing Chairman of tonight’s dinner, En Carl Moosom and his hardworking committee for organizing it superbly. To those who sponsored for the lucky draws, advertisements and dinner tickets, many thanks to you all for your generosity, for without your support, tonight’s dinner may not be possible. I wish everybody an enjoyable evening.

“Kotohuadan” , Thank you dan   Terima Kasih.