Kota Kinabalu: The spirit of unity is the backbone of the Foochow community’s success in various fields, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
He said their “Prosper Your Neighbour” practice of caring and supporting each other has become the foundation of the community’s success.
“Many can learn from the Foochow community that unity is the pillar of success and prosperity. In fact, Foochows are also very famous as a community that is resilient and smart in business,” he said at the 2023 Chinese New Year dinner of the Federation of Foochow Associations of Sabah and Federal Territory of Labuan at the Sabah Hakka Hall, here, Sunday night.
Hajiji’s speech text was delivered by Deputy Chief Minister cum Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
Hajiji said most of the Foochows in Sabah came from Sarawak and have a strong connection with the economic development of Sabah.
“At the beginning, they worked as farmers, teachers and civil servants, in addition to being involved in the timber industry, agriculture, construction, printing and media, trade and finance.
“For example, Hock Hua Bank is one of the financial institutions established by the Foochow community.
“Now, the new generation of Foochows are involved in professional fields such as being lawyers, engineers, contractors, accountants, pharmacists and others,” he added.
Hajiji said he was pleased to know that the Sabah Foochow Associations have contributed a lot to the economic development of the State through trade and business.
“The Foochow community in Sabah has also been actively involved in economic development, education, culture, society, politics and others for a long time. I hope the Foochow community will continue to strive to achieve excellence in various fields, especially in helping the economic recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Meanwhile, Federation of Foochow Association of Sabah and Labuan President Datuk Wong Kii Yii said the association has grown stronger in the past five years.
He said the association was established to unite all the Foochows under one roof.
Also present were Nominated Assemblyman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee, Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS) President Tan Sri TC Goh, Sabah United Chinese Chambers of Commerce (SUCCC) President Tan Sri Andrew Liew Sui Fatt, United Sabah Chinese Communities Association of Kota Kinabalu (USCCAKK) President Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen, People’s Republic of China Deputy Consul-General Ouyang Huifeng, Indonesia Consul-General at Kota Kinabalu Bapak Rafail Walangitan and others.
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