Nationwide Tour Arrives in Kuantan
Pahang Beyond 2026: Embracing Belt and Road for Sustainable Growth
Kuantan, 26 August 2023- Pusat Khidmat DUN Semambu, in collaboration with the Southeast Asia Research Centre for Humanities (SEARCH) and the Centre of Regional Strategic Studies (CROSS), successfully organised the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) 10th Anniversary Nationwide Tour: Round Table Meeting and Seminar in Kuantan on 26 August 2023. This event was co-organized by PERDASAMA Pahang and Cerita Kuantan.
In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the “Belt and Road” initiative, SEARCH and CROSS jointly launched the Belt and Road Initiative 10th Anniversary Nationwide Tour, with strong support from The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia. This tour, consisting of a series of roundtable meetings and seminars held across Malaysia, aimed to showcase the achievements of Malaysia-China collaboration within the Belt and Road framework, as well as gather ideas and suggestions from various stakeholders, paving a clear path for future Malaysia-China cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.
As the second stop of this nationwide tour, the Kuantan BRI event took place at Megaview Hotel, Kuantan, Pahang, where the opening ceremony was officiated by the YB Datuk’ Mohamad Nizar bin Mohamad Najib, Executive Councillor for Investment, Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation and Semambu State Assemblyman, YB Chan Chun Kuang.
The theme of the seminar was “Pahang Beyond 2026: Embracing Belt and Road for Sustainable Growth”. The main objective of the seminar is to promote sustainable development in Pahang. The speakers shared their insights on the business landscape of Pahang and the impact of ECRL in facilitating Pahang’s development beyond the year 2026.
The round table meeting focused on the theme ‘A New Facet of Development in Pahang beyond 2026: Incoming BRI Regional Land-sea Corridor.’ Stakeholders engaged in strategic discussions with a particular emphasis on BRI-related projects, in conjunction with the East Coast Economic Region and the innovative concept of ‘two countries, twin parks,’ aiming to explore spillover effects and opportunities in Pahang after the completion of ECRL in 2026.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Datuk Nizar stated that the Pahang State Government welcomes foreign investments to establish a presence in Pahang, particularly in emerging industries. With a vision of becoming an agricultural powerhouse, Pahang aspires to embrace green agricultural technology industries, driving the state’s sustainable agricultural development.
“Technological innovation is recognized as the driving force behind this green agricultural advancement, an area in which China possesses extensive experience.”
“Therefore, we eagerly anticipate collaborations with agricultural technology industries from China, working together to achieve this goal. We are looking forward to these technologies to be applied, especially in West Pahang, where we focus on investments in tourism and agricultural sectors.”
Mr Wong Chun Yuan, the Managing Director of CROSS stated in his welcome remarks that the focal point of this event in Kuantan lies in the exploration of various transformative possibilities unfurled by BRI’s infrastructure connectivity and the ethos of the Green Silk Road, a vision synonymous with sustainable growth and development.
He said, the completion of the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) is poised to unleash a wave of transformative spillover effects throughout the region, particularly benefiting the Kuantan port and multiple industries in Pahang.
Meanwhile, the Honorary Secretary General of PERDASAMA Nasional, Puan Roliza Abd Kadir expressed hope for initiatives that foster bilateral tourism exchanges, as Malaysia has long been a favored travel destination for Chinese tourists. Perdasama recently has signed three MOUs with Chinese organizations to strengthen economic and trade ties between Malaysia and China.The MOUs aim to build a vibrant ecosystem for international suppliers and brands in Southeast Asia, and to foster effective and cordial relations between businesses in both countries.
She also added “Prior to the pandemic, China recorded 3.18 million tourist arrivals, with over 80 percent of Chinese tourists visiting Malaysia for holidays. Despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, things are now getting back on track for a speedy recovery,” she mentioned.
“I firmly believe that through our bilateral efforts, tourism and businesses among two countries recovery will be accelerated even further.”
The speakers for the seminar was Ms Aznira binti Zakaria, Program Leader of Supply Chain and Logistics from Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management (TAR UMT) and Mr Saifuz Zaman Bin Aziz, the Head of Railway Management ofMalaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL); and the session was moderated by Mr Neo Chee Hua, CEO of SEARCH
