Better connectivity allows Sarawak to reach out to potential markets overseas
KUCHING: Wider air and land connectivity is vital for Sarawak to reach out and tap potential markets beyond its shores in order to grow the various sectors and industries, including dental healthcare.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said if Sarawak’s dental healthcare wants to grow, it has to look at markets outside Sarawak much like the general healthcare services and the food sector.
“Three million Sarawakians can only eat so much but three billion people in the whole of Asia can eat much more. That’s where the market is for our food products.
“If we can explore and capture the markets outside Sarawak, you will have more than six billion sets of teeth to care for,” he added.
He believed this could be achieved if the state’s dental services could convince the bigger market much like the more established healthcare services sector.
However, Abang Johari, also acknowledged the need for direct connectivity, including road, and more importantly air connectivity, before people could come to Sarawak with ease.
“The industry would be bigger if there is easy access, by air or over land, to tap the market potentials in bigger places like Balik Papan and Samarinda in Kailimantan, Indonesia, and even other cities and towns outside Kalimantan,” he said when addressing the 8th Borneo Dental Congress and Trade Exhibition cum 9th Malaysian Dental Association Eastern Zone (MDAEZ) annual general meeting here yesterday.
State Health director Dr Jamilah Hashim, her deputy (oral health) Dr Yaw Siew Lian, Malaysian Dental Association (MDA) president Dr Ng Woan Tyng as well as MDA Eastern Zone chairman and organising chairman Dr Sim Wen Sann were present.
Hence, he said Sarawak welcomed the idea of turning Kuching into a low cost air carrier hub (LCCT) to connect Kuching and Sarawak with other important cities in the region.
“AirAsia has plans to set up the LCCT in Kuching and we want to negotiate with AirAsia to ensure a win-win situation for both parties. With wider air connectivity, we can connect with the potential markets while AirAsia continues its expansion.
“After all, Indonesians in Sumatra are willing to fly to places like Penang and Malacca to get quality healthcare services. I don’t see why those in Kalimantan cannot fly to Kuching to get quality dental healthcare if we can make it available for them here.”
Abang Johari also reiterated the importance of exploiting the digital platforms which have made products and services promotion, purchase and payment easier now.
“We can explore collaboration with Kalimantan through Go Jek which is Indonesia’s digital payment application. This should be able to attract people in Kalimantan to come to Kuching for dental treatment and other services,” he said.
He hoped that the dental professionals in both the public and private sectors would continue to work hand-in-hand to help Malaysia realise the developed nation status by 2020, with high quality patient care services.
The three-day Borneo Dental Congress organised by MDAEZ started on Friday.
It aims to bring local and international dental professionals together; to update them on the latest treatment modalities and dental equipment to enhance their dental delivery skills and knowledge to better serve the general public.