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Friday July 6, 2012

Stay united in struggles, new Indian group told

By ZORA CHAN
zora@thestar.com.my


Patron honoured: Piara (left) putting a colourful Sarawak Indian shawl over Johari during the installation dinner in Kuching on Thursday.

KUCHING: Sarawak Indian Society (SIS) can be a force to be reckoned with in the state if its members remain united in its struggles to uplift the community’s socio-economic status.

Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said members should never allow any misunderstanding to come between them but practise moderation in everything they hoped to do.

He said he had tasted the bitterness of being divided in 1987 when the state’s political scene was in turmoil which saw division among friends and families.

“In 1987 state election, I had to fight against my own cousin and there was a bad feeling to it because my relatives and I were also uncomfortable with each other. There was a split within the family on who to support.

“From happiness, there was a sense of fear. But thankfully, the episode is over and we’re all united as one.

“We need to preserve the united and peaceful social structure which we have found over the years,” he said at SIS installation dinner here, Thursday.

Johari, who is also SIS patron, said the society should play a role in motivating the young generation to be competitive players in the global economy.

The society had the advantage of knowing the Indian languages and cultures which could be used as a tool to forge better socio-economic ties with India, one of the four emerging economies in the world, he said.

He said his ministry would be organising a working visit to India next year to explore new opportunities in the continent and hoped that SIS could assist the Government in understanding the Indian languages and cultures better.

“One of the areas which we can work together with India is the creative and ICT industries,” he said.

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