AUSTRALIA: The Sarawak Australia Business Chamber (SABC), led by President Rodger Chan Siong Boh, made significant strides at the Asia Summit held in Melbourne here recently.
Chan met with key Australian ministers, including Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Penny Wong and Victoria Treasurer cum Minister for Industrial Relations Tim Pallas, to discuss future collaborations and strengthen bilateral ties.
During the summit, Chan extended a formal invitation to both ministers to visit Sarawak in 2025.
SABC, in a statement, said the visit would coincide with the proposed Sarawak-Australia-ASEAN Green Economic Forum, a significant event co-organised by SABC and the Australian Business Chamber (ABC).
“2025 marks the 70th anniversary of Australia-Malaysia diplomatic relations and the 80th anniversary of the Australian military’s first landing in Sarawak to combat Japanese occupation during World War II,” Chan said in the statement.
Malaysia will also be hosting ASEAN in 2025, adding further importance to the planned forum.
Chan highlighted that the forum aims to showcase Sarawak’s green economic initiatives and its role in the broader ASEAN landscape.
This follows a previous commitment from Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who, during the Australia-ASEAN Summit in March, assured that an ASEAN event would be held in Kuching in 2025.
Anwar praised Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg for his leadership in green energy and the green economy.
At the Asia Summit, Wong emphasised Australia’s renewed focus on Asia and ASEAN, advocating for increased trade and investment in Southeast Asia.
“This space is central to Australia’s future. This is where we need greater understanding, both among analysts and commentators, and also among the polity.
“While we have a good foundation in our free trade agreements across the region, Australia‘s trade and investment have simply not kept pace with the growth of Southeast Asian economies.
“We need to turn this around,” Wong was quoted as saying.
Pallas echoed Wong’s statements, highlighting their government’s strong emphasis on Southeast Asia.
He noted that this meeting marked the second time this year that Chan has engaged with him, underlining the growing importance of Sarawak-Australia relations.
