The President of the Malaysian Business Chamber of Cambodia (MBCC) has highlighted five key pillars for the oldest Chamber in Cambodia to take on as it marked its 30th Anniversary in a glittering dinner ceremony held at NagaWorld Saturday.
President Oknha Tan Khee Meng made this remarks as Guest of Honour and High Representative of Prime Minister Dr Hun Manet, Dr. Hang Choun Naron looked on along with other government dignitaries and guests totalling more than 500.
Dr. Hang Choun Naron is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport.
Oknha Tan, in his opening remarks, said thatby leveraging on the strength of Malaysian Companies and individuals in Cambodia, MBCC had a lot more things and works it could initiate and undertake to elevate MBCC’s journey in the next 30 years to come.
“Looking ahead, we has outlined a vision to further our journey, which are: “1. Building on the momentum of the social contribution and ESG initiatives over the past few years, we will continue to champion social contribution and ESG initiatives, mainly focusing on areas aligned with the Cambodian Government’s pentagonal strategy. Education, human resource development, and welfare support for underprivileged groups will be pillars of our efforts. The MBCC will serve as a conduit for our members and associates to participate in meaningful ESG activities.
“2. Recognizing the transformative power of education, we are in the planning stages of establishing a foundation dedicated to Children’s Medical and Education assistance. We will inaugurate this initiative in conjunction with tonight MBCC’s celebration with a contribution to the Ministry of Education, a precursor to the profound impact we envision in the coming years.
“3. In response to the call for more FDIs and the development of local SMEs by the Royal Government of Cambodia, we are elevating the MBCC’s role in facilitating FDIs into Cambodia. We are establishing a service center in Malaysia to work in tandem with relevant trade promotion agencies, business associations and government agencies, and the Cambodian embassy in Malaysia. We have many success stories of Malaysian investments in Cambodia, and furthermore many of those are great success stories that Malaysian companies are amongst the top players in their respective fields in Cambodia; this is a perfect showcase of inclusive, open-armed and non-discrimination policies of Cambodian Government on foreign investors, and I believe all Malaysian success stories and our strong presence in Cambodia can be strong convincing factors when we are promoting Cambodia as an investment destination to the world.
“4. Our forums, seminars, and networking events have received positive feedback for connecting members and participants directly with regulators and industry leaders. We will continue this momentum, providing regular opportunities for our members to engage in meaningful dialogue with concerned regulators and government agencies.
“5. We honor the roots of the MBCC, founded on business and social networking. We welcome Malaysian companies and associate corporate members of different nationalities. We are committed to fostering a diverse business community, enriching our members’ experiences, and broadening their networks.”
He added that the MBCC’s reputation as an active and influential business chamber reflectsthe members’ contributions across various sectors. MBCC hasspurred economic growth and enriched Cambodia’s social fabric through human capital development and social initiatives.
Before his remarks, Oknha Tan also read out a touching eulogy to the late Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Chen Lip Keong who departed recently following a minute of slience to mark the achivements of a pioneering Malaysian businessman and entrepreneur which came to Cambodia when the country was still struggling to get to grips with a UN peace treaty.
Deputy Prime Minister Dr Hang Choun Naron in his remarks said that Malaysian investors had set foot in Cambodia and helped build the country to the levels it is today and called on for more intensified efforts to enhance MBCC’s role in nation building in Cambodia.
“Thanks to peace, we have had achieved great achievements such as consistent seven percent GDP growth for over a decade from zero percent in the early nineties with a forecasted 6.6 percent GDP in 2024 and the growth rebounding from almost zero percent again during the COVID-19 pandemic to 5.6 percent forecasted GDP growth this year.
“Malaysian investors have played a key role in helping develop Cambodia in many sectors such as energy, infrastructure, education, telecommunications, financial and banking, insurance, trading, manufacturing and the lists goes on.”
He added that the 30th Anniversary Celebrations is a testimony to the Chamber’s resilience along with Cambodia’s determination to build a better nation with a better future.
The celebrations culminated with a cake cutting ceremony and awards for MBCC’s CSR/ESG icons.