Labuan Chambers of Commerce hail new cabinet line-up

LABUAN: The Labuan Chambers of Commerce have lauded the new cabinet line-up and are hopeful that the Federal Territory will not be neglected in the national economic development.

Labuan India Chamber of Commerce chairman Datuk Daliph Singh said the newly-appointed ministers are most recognised by the people and private sector and should be capable of carrying out the development projects.

He said the new cabinet should complete the tasks within the remaining 100-day time frame, which is to enhance economic development to help improve the people’s wellbeing.

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced the new cabinet line-up that sees DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng appointed as Minister of Finance, former university lecturer Dr Maszlee Malik as Minister of Education, PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali as Minister of Economic Affairs, and DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo as Minister of Communications and Multimedia.

In addition, PKR Wanita chief

It is also our hope that Labuan being a federal territory will not be neglected and be left behind in the national economic development mainstream.

Datuk Daliph Singh, Labuan India Chamber of Commerce Chairman

Zuraida Kamaruddin has been appointed as Minister of Housing and Local Government, DAP National organising secretary Anthony Loke Siew Fook as Minister of Transport and DAP vice-chairman Kulasegaran V Murugeson as Minister of Human Resource.

The other appointments are Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub as Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry; Amanah Strategic director Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad as Minister of Health, and Srikandi Bersatu chief Rina Harun as Minister of Rural Development.

Daliph said the Labuan business community wished to offer moral support to the new Cabinet members, adding he believed their work policies would be in line with the new government’s policies towards taking the country to greater heights and improving the people’s standard of living. “It is also our hope that Labuan being a federal territory will not be neglected and be left behind in the national economic development mainstream,” he said.

The island’s economic slowdown impacted by the oil and gas sector which led to the high unemployment rate must also be addressed, Daliph added.

Meanwhile, the Labuan Chamber of Malay Entrepreneurs also concurred that the island’s economy must be given attention to address economic slowdown.

Its president Datuk Seri Mohd Alias Abd Rahman said Labuan being Malaysia’s international financial hub is well known to offshore financial players.

“We are optimistic that as an international financial hub to the country, the development of Labuan will be in tandem with the national development,” he added. —