Caption: 1. From left: Deputy President of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) Dato Goh Boon Kim, Dato’ Jeffery Tan of the Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, MCCC Sabah President Datuk Dexter, and Vice President Yong Siew Lee.
2. Seated from left: Datuk Dexter Lau, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed, H.E. Mr. Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia, Dr. Rashidi Said, Senior Director of MITI, FMM Deputy President Dato Goh Boon Kim, Dato’ Jeffery Tan of the Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Dr. Ang Li Ling, Director of MITI.
KUALA LUMPUR: “In today’s increasingly interconnected global economy, cross-border business networking has become an important avenue for businesses to understand international markets, expand their business networks and explore opportunities for collaboration.”
Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah President, Federation of Public Listed Companies (FPLC) Executive Committee Member, and Kim Teck Cheong Consolidated Berhad Group Executive Director Datuk Dexter Lau said participation in international business networking is not merely about meeting more business contacts.
More importantly, it allows businesses to gain a deeper understanding of the market environment, industry development and business needs of different countries through face-to-face communication, and identify areas of cooperation that align with their own development.
Datuk Dexter Lau was invited yesterday to attend a business networking dinner organised by the High Commission of Bangladesh in Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. Also attending were MCCC Sabah Branch Vice President and Vice Chairman of the MCCC Young Entrepreneurs Committee Yong Siew Lee, as well as member and Director of Koperasi Usahawan Utama Sabah Berhad, Celine Teah.
They joined representatives from the business communities, chambers and industry organisations, and relevant institutions from Bangladesh and Malaysia in exchanging views and gaining further insights into each other’s markets and business opportunities.
He said businesses in different countries and regions possess their own industry strengths, resources and market networks, while cross-border engagement allows companies to look beyond their existing market framework and gain new perspectives on business models, market needs and development trends.
“The important thing about participating in business networking is not simply meeting more people. More importantly, it is about following up after the initial engagement, gaining a better understanding of each other’s business needs and identifying areas of cooperation that can be translated into action.”
He noted that a single business networking session may not immediately lead to a partnership, but through continued communication and follow-up, businesses can gradually build trust and develop an initial business contact into potential trade, investment or project collaborations.
Datuk Dexter Lau said another value of cross-border business networking lies in the opportunity for companies to connect with businesses and industry organisations from different sectors, allowing them to identify areas of industry complementarity and resource sharing.
For businesses seeking to expand into overseas markets, such engagements also provide a more direct understanding of local market conditions and potential business opportunities.
He pointed out that chambers of commerce can play a bridging role in promoting cross-border business networking by leveraging their established business networks to create opportunities for member companies to connect with industry organisations and businesses from different countries, while facilitating further engagement.
“The role of a chamber is not merely to bring businesses to networking events. More importantly, it is to ensure that the engagement continues afterwards. Through follow-ups, business matching and direct engagement, an initial meeting can gradually develop into a long-term business relationship.”
Commenting on the Bangladesh business networking dinner, Datuk Dexter Lau said such events provide a direct platform for the business communities of both countries to engage with one another, enabling companies to gain a better understanding of each other’s businesses and markets from different perspectives and explore potential areas of future cooperation.
He said MCCC Sabah would continue to participate in and promote various forms of domestic and international business networking activities, creating more opportunities for member companies to explore international markets while strengthening information exchange, resource matching and business collaboration among enterprises.
“We hope every business networking opportunity will not simply be a one-off event, but a new beginning. Through continued contact, further communication and direct engagement, we can gradually turn business networking into meaningful corporate cooperation.”
Other attendees included H.E. Mr. Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia; Mosammat Shahanara Monica, Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia; Taskeen Ahmed, President of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI); Dato Goh Boon Kim, Deputy President of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM); Norsyahrin Hamidon, President of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM); Dr. Rashidi Said, Senior Director of the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI); Dr. Ang Li Ling, Director of MITI; and Dato’ Jeffery Tan of the Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others.
