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PETALING JAYA: Several business groups have hailed the appointment of Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as Prime Minister, saying that they looked forward to working with him as the country battles the Covid-19 pandemic.
The National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) said the appointment comes at an extremely tumultuous time for the Malaysian economy, rakyat, and businesses.
It added that a stable government is essential for national recovery and resuscitation to ensure a safe and successful relaunch of economic and business activities, and a return to normalcy.
“As we are navigating through the pandemic, NCCIM looks forward to working with our Prime Minister and his new Cabinet to immediately address the still worsening Covid-19 situation; the battered economy; and helping many businesses in this difficult environment,” said NCCIM president Datuk Low Kian Chuan.
He added a holistic approach needs to be taken to restart different business sectors as this would entail opening up in different ways and at differing speeds for each sector.The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) said it hoped the new Cabinet will be operational soon, adding that for the country’s economic activities to fully resume, there was a need to win the fight against the pandemic.
“We hope they can improve past shortcomings and strive to speed up the restoration of normalcy for various economic activities,” said Low, who is also with ACCCIM.
Malaysia Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said he hoped that under Ismail Sabri’s leadership, Malaysia’s reputation as a fast-developing nation would be restored and further enhanced, despite the challenges of globalisation and Covid-19.
“MEF had always and will continue to provide unwavering support to the Prime Minister and the government, and we hope that measures for opening up the economy and its recovery would be announced and implemented soon.
“Employers, especially micro, SMEs, are desperately seeking a light at the end of the tunnel.
“We hope the government would consider providing additional support in terms of wage subsidies so that these employers can continue their operations and retain their employees,” he said in a statement.
The Malaysia Budget & Business Hotel Associations (MyBHA) urged the government to continue with its efforts in assisting tourism and hotel industry players.
“The government needs to pay more attention to the hotel and tourism industry, which has been affected since the end of 2019 as it will take a long time to recover even if the pandemic has been successfully controlled,” it said, while congratulating Ismail Sabri on his appointment.
Source: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/08/22/business-groups-ready-to-overcome-challenges-under-pms-leadership