BY BEH YUEN HUI
Guest of honour: Liow (centre) presenting an appreciation award to party veteran Lim Ho Ying (sitting, second left) at the Selangor MCA annual general meeting. Looking on are his deputy Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong (third from right) and Youth chairman Senator Chong Sin Woon (second from right).
KUALA LUMPUR: Efforts to revitalise Chinese new villages will create more economic developments and jobs to benefit the younger generation, says MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
Noting a general lack of young people in many of such places in the country, he said efforts must be made to attract them there to help in reviving the villages.
“Without them, the villages will not grow. So we must generate more opportunities to encourage them to stay and bring their villages through the urbanisation process,” he said after opening the Selangor MCA annual general meeting here yesterday.
Liow said a delegation comprising over 20 village chiefs was in China to begin a five-day trip today to learn about the successful transformation of villages in rural areas in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces.
He added that the tour, led by MCA new village affairs bureau chief Datuk Hoh Khai Mun, was specially arranged by the Chinese Embassy’s councillor Ma Jia as goodwill for the strong diplomatic relations between MCA and the Communist Party of China.
Also present at the meeting was MCA deputy president Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of small and medium enterprises and Chinese new village affairs.
In his speech at the AGM, Liow used the story of Gou Jian, who ruled the Kingdom of Yue from 496 to 465BC, to encourage his people to stay determined, strong and work hard while waiting for the opportunity to rise again.
He said Gou Jian slept on brushwood and tasted bile to remind himself of the struggle to rebuild his country after his defeat.
“Gou Jian did not give up and worked to transform and strengthen the country.
“Finally, he was able to exact revenge on his opponents.
“We must learn from him and have the spirit to endure hardship and be prepared to fight again,” he said to party members.
Liow also questioned the need for the Selangor state government to set up the Darul Ehsan Investment Group when it already had Mentri Besar Incorporated as its investment arm.
