KUCHING, Dec 1 — A host of activities will be rolled out next year to promote the Hokkien culture on a larger scale, said Federation of Hokkien Associations of Malaysia (FHAM) president Tan Sri Lim Hock San.
He said the Asean Federation of Hokkien Associations, established last year, had called its inaugural general meeting in August to fulfil its role in uniting the Hokkien community in Asean countries.
“With regards to promoting Hokkien culture, FHAM will be organising a series of activities next year, and sincerely invite all Hokkiens to join us,” he said in an Oriental Daily report during the ‘Fuzhou, the City of Blessings’ signing ceremony hosted by the Fuzhou Municipal Government in Kuala Lumpur last Thursday.
During the signing ceremony, KTS Group signed a cooperation agreement with the Minqing County People’s Government and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to promote the development of the UPM Malaysia-China satellite big data industry in Minqing County, China.
The signing ceremony was witnessed by Beruas MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Deputy Party Secretary of Fujian Province and Communist Party Secretary of Fuzhou Guo Ningning.
Lim said FHAM has always maintained good relationships with its counterparts in Fujian province, China, and recalled the 11th World Fujian Convention held in October last year had received overwhelming support.
“The convention attracted over 3,500 delegates and the Quanzhou Municipal Government had provided, among others, ceramics and tea as door gifts,” he said.
He further emphasised that FHAM was deeply concerned about China’s development in all aspects, including the latest developments on the US-China trade war.
He was also delighted to see the rapid development and progress China has been making over the years.
“I hope that Malaysia and China can continue fostering closer cooperation and maintain the cordial relationships between the two countries.”
Meanwhile, Ngeh said the continued growth of trade between Malaysia and China demonstrated the increasingly close relationship between the two nations.
According to him, the implementation of the visa-free policy between Malaysia and China has offered greater convenience for travellers from both countries.
Prior to this policy, he said Malaysians who wished to travel to China or vice versa had to go through a complicated procedure and adhere to the regulations set by both governments.
“Now that it is visa-free, all travellers need to do is make sure that your passport is ready for boarding,” he said.
Ngeh believed that such good policies would further promote exchanges between Malaysia and China toward enhancing mutual understanding and achieving mutual benefits. — The Borneo Post
