B&R Business Forum and Symposium

The Belt and Road Entrepreneurs Auditorium series was officially launched on 6 and 7 January 2018. The opening ceremony of its first forum, titled Belt and Road (B&R) Business Forum and Symposium 2018, was held at Sungai Long Campus. It aimed to create new platforms for Malaysian and Chinese entrepreneurs to achieve consensus on business sharing.

From left: Gao, Qiu, Dato’ Chuah, Dato’ Hou, Dato’ Joseph Lim, Prof Chuah and Prof Ewe at the opening ceremony

Invited to officiate the event was UTAR Council Member-cum-Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (INSAP) Chairperson Senator Dato’ Dr Hou Kok Chung, together with  Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia Representative Qiu Zi Li, MCA Belt and Road Centre (MBRACE) Executive Chairman Dato’ Sri Chuah Poh Khiang, MBRACE Deputy Executive Chairman-cum-INSIGHT Think Tank Sdn Bhd Founder  Dato’ Joseph Lim Heng Ee, China-ASEAN Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) Trade Promotion Platform (CASTPP) Executive Secretary Gao Hang, UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik and Vice President for Internationalisation and Academic Development Prof Ir Dr Ewe Hong Tat.

Dato’ Hou

In his opening remarks, Dato’ Hou said, “Students are the future leaders of our country. They are also the soft power for future cooperation between the two countries.” He expressed his support for the collaboration between MBRACE and UTAR, and believed that the domestic business and the SMEs will definitely benefit from such kind of cooperation.

Dato’ Chuah

“Many SMEs in Malaysia lack the understanding about the Belt and Road initiative. They assume that it focuses mainly on mega infrastructure projects and enterprises which have less influence on them,” said Dato Chuah. He was looking forward to the combination of academic studies and entrepreneurs’ practical experiences that could assist SMEs to catch up with the new trend as well as to expand the market and trade volume.

“We hope the Malaysians will be equipped with the academic expertise and capabilities on the Belt and Road initiative through the cooperation with UTAR, and in return make greater contributions to the promotion of economic growth between both countries,” he added.

Prof Chuah

Prof Chuah said, “This symposium brought academic researchers, prominent industrial practitioners and industry experts together for a mutual exchange of views and to discuss the Belt and Road initiative.” UTAR, he said, was deeply committed to its role in creating opportunities for young people to work together through conducting numerous talks and dialogue sessions regarding the Belt and Road initiative.

From left: Gao, Qiu, Dato’ Hou, Dato’ Chuah, Prof Chuah, Dato’ Joseph Lim and Prof Ewe

MoU exchange between Prof Chuah (second from left) and Dato’ Chuah (second from right), while Prof Ewe (far left), Dato Hou (centre) and Dato’ Joseph Lim looks on

The event also saw the launch of the Belt and Road Entrepreneurs Auditorium Magazine, followed by the exchange of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between UTAR and MBRACE. The bi-monthly magazine provides insightful articles on strategies and real-time business analysis, innovative thought and in-depth media coverage which help entrepreneurs gain an understanding on market opportunities and strategies to expand their business. It is an initiative taken by MBRACE and the Chinese-ASEAN Business Magazine.

The forum featured five main themes; each theme saw knowledgeable speakers sharing their experience and vision for their respective industry as well as assisting the local entrepreneurs to gain a window to the outside world.

From left: Datuk Lim, Gao, Dato’ Ong, Dato’ Joseph Lim and moderator Josephine Lee Mei Li

Among the line-up of renowned entrepreneurs who facilitated the discussion with their vast knowledge and varied experiences included Gao, Dato’ Joseph Lim, Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) Chief Executive Officer Dato’ Ong Chong Yi, GM Klang Managing Director Datuk Lim Seng Kok, and UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong.

 From left: Prof Yeah and Lee

The keynote speakers who shared their rich breadth of expertise were Executive Director of Socio-Economic Research Centre (SERC) under The Association Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) Lee Heng Guie and Professor of Economics Sunway University Business School Prof Dr Yeah Kim Leng.

Lee mentioned that China’s investment in Malaysia is mostly in the manufacturing of electronic products, raw steel material and traffic control equipment. He also advised Malaysia to export more products to decrease trade deficit. On the other hand, Prof Yeah said that Malaysia should increase its enterprise market absorption capacity against foreign investment to ensure it is beneficial under all kinds of circumstances.

There were eight papers presented during the forum. The presentations covered the recent developments in Malaysia’s economy and the future potential of SMEs with the implementation of One Belt One Road initiative.

The event was jointly organised by UTAR and MBRACE, with co-organiser China-ASEAN Business Magazine and INSIGHT, and supporting organiser GM Klang Wholesale City, Guilin University of Electronic Technology and Ipsos.