By David E.
KOTA KINABALU: Oct 22, 2026 – The Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah will lead a delegation of 100 council members and members on the Malaysia-China Guangzhou Industrial Visit and Business Networking Dinner from Nov 11 to 14, 2026.
MCCC Sabah president Datuk Dexter Lau said the encouraging response reflects the strong interest of the Sabah business community in expanding Malaysia-China trade ties and exploring new cross-border business opportunities.
“We are very pleased to see such a positive response from council members, chamber members, government representatives and the business community who will be joining this visit to Guangzhou. This programme is not merely an industry visit, but an important initiative that brings together the Sabah government and the business community to explore opportunities and strengthen cooperative relations,” he said during a courtesy visit to Sabah Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Datuk Jamawi Jaafar yesterday.
The delegation also brings together ministers, government department representatives, industry leaders and media representatives, forming a delegation with government and business networks, industry expertise and broad information dissemination capacity.
Among the officials joining the delegation are Sabah Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Permanent Secretary Datuk Ts. Hj. Jifrin Hj. Mohamad; Public Relations Secretary to the Minister Dr. Awang Faisal Assyiffa bin Ag. Rahim; Sabah Agriculture Department director Jackson Ronald Jaimi; Sabah Fisheries Department director Lawrence Kissol Jr; Sabah Fisheries and Fishermen Development Corporation (Ko-Nelayan) general manager Datuk Haji Yusof bin Ag. Besar; and Sabah Fish Marketing Sdn Bhd (SAFMA) general manager Burhan bin Japar.
The visit programme covers the agriculture sector, trade and related industries. The delegation will join networking sessions with Chinese government representatives, senior company management and chambers of commerce to enhance understanding of each other’s markets and industries.
Datuk Dexter said the visit aims to promote more substantive Malaysia-China cooperation through direct ties between the Sabah business community and government agencies, companies and chambers of commerce in China.
“We hope this visit will not be merely a short-term exchange session, but the starting point for deeper understanding and trust between both sides. The true value of a business network lies in the ability to identify areas of cooperation and carry out consistent follow-up so that it can be translated into tangible results,” he said.
The delegation will also visit Sun Yat-sen University, with Datuk Jamawi scheduled to deliver a speech and share his experience with students of the university. Delegates will also attend an Artificial Intelligence (AI) course conducted by professors of the university.
Datuk Dexter said the university programme is designed to give participants the opportunity to gain knowledge and perspectives beyond the industry visit and business networking.
“In a landscape of constantly evolving industries and technology applications, companies need to continuously renew their knowledge and understand new trends to prepare themselves for future challenges,” he said.
Also present at the courtesy visit were MCCC Sabah deputy president Kapitan (Dr.) Callee Tan Kai Lee; vice president and organising committee chairman Louis Su; vice president and organising committee deputy chairman Jacky Chin; vice president Yong Siew Lee; and deputy public relations director Datuk Yong Wei Hau.
