Malaysia
The new governing committee of Malaysian Furniture Council (MFC) covering the 2023/2025 term was sworn in recently with Desmond Tan Boon Hai from the state of Johor as its third president. Matthew Law Kian Siong of Selangor serves as the deputy president, the secretary-general’s post is filled by Goh Song Huang from Johor and Selangor’s Cindy Kong Kim Tai as the treasurer.
The swearing-in ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur in the presence of the secretary-general of the Minister of Plantation and Commodities, Yang Berbahagia Dato Haji Mad Zaidi Mohd Karli as the Guest of Honor.
A number of VIP guests were also in attendance, such as representatives from the MATRADE, Forestry Department, Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) and Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB).
During his welcoming speech, Tan, the president of MFC, pointed out that manpower remains a constant challenge for the industry where despite the government permitting manufacturers to bring in new foreign workers, a number of them are unable to proceed due to the lack of orders last year.
This year however, the industry hopes that the government is willing to grant an 18-month extension in regards of the due date of these foreign workers for industry players to bring them into Malaysia in stages. This will enable orders from newly explored markets to be fulfilled.
Tan emphasized that the industry is attempting to further their share in markets such as Japan, India and the Philippines in the form of trade missions and participation in local exhibitions to gauge local sentiments.
The Guest of Honour, Dato Haji Mad Zaidi in his speech praised the furniture industry for being able to export products up to 186 countries. He said that Malaysian-made furniture is in a league of its own when it is visible in various hotel chains and property around the world.
He added that the government will take note of the challenges faced by the industry and will try to formulate more business-friendly policies in the future. However, it is vital for the industry and government to have a strong bond in order to transform such visions into a reality.
