Sabah China Chamber of Commerce, SIRIM strengthen cooperation to support local enterprises

KOTA KINABALU (Jan 29): The Sabah China Chamber of Commerce and SIRIM Sabah have reached a mutual understanding to strengthen cooperation in supporting local enterprises, particularly in enhancing awareness and understanding of standards, certification, approvals and industrial development requirements.

SIRIM Sabah’s Acting President and Group Chief Executive Officer, Nik Sazali bin Nik Hussin, recently led a delegation to meet with the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce in an engagement session aimed at fostering closer collaboration between the national standards body and the local business community.

During the meeting, both parties discussed in detail the role SIRIM can play in assisting businesses – especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – through professional services in testing, certification, licensing, innovation and technology applications.

Sabah China Chamber of Commerce President Datuk Frankie Liew said the engagement was timely and significant, particularly for enterprises seeking to expand their market reach, improve competitiveness, and venture into regional and international markets.

He welcomed SIRIM Sabah’s proactive initiative to engage directly with the Chamber and Sabah-based businesses, noting that the session helped address common misconceptions surrounding standards, certification processes, and regulatory approval requirements.

“The session has helped clarify many misunderstandings and will ease the pressure faced by businesses in meeting compliance requirements. This will contribute towards creating a more supportive and business-friendly environment,” he said.

Both parties expressed optimism that the collaboration will be further strengthened in the future, with the shared goal of supporting Sabah enterprises in quality improvement, technological innovation, and sustainable development.

Representatives from SIRIM also briefed participants on the organisation’s role as Malaysia’s national standards and quality infrastructure agency, including its function in guiding and supporting businesses to improve product and service quality, and in obtaining relevant certifications and approvals.

SIRIM further emphasised that it is not an enforcement agency, but instead works alongside businesses through professional advisory services, technical support, and collaborative engagement to help companies comply effectively with standards and approval requirements.

The agency reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining close cooperation with the business community by providing technical consultation and professional services to support sustainable and long-term business growth.

Meanwhile, the Sabah China Chamber of Commerce will hold the swearing-in ceremony for its third term committee on March 16 at Hakka Hall.

Frankie Liew, together with key committee members, has been paying courtesy visits and extending invitations to honorary advisors to attend the event.

Businessmen Datuk Alan Ang and Datuk Dr Gordon Loke have agreed to accept the invitation to serve as Honorary Advisors of the Chamber, further strengthening the advisory panel.