Ahmad Lai (second left) takes a closer look at some of the pictures put up for exhibit.
MIRI: Malaysia’s total export of rubber products recorded a slight increase from RM14.53 billion in 2012 to RM14.68 billion last year.
Chairman of Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council, Ahmad Lai Bujang, said Malaysia had to do better to sharpen its competitive edge and maintain the country’s position as world No 1 exporter of rubber gloves, condoms and catheters.
“More and more countries in the region such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam are fast becoming our competitors. Foreign investors are banging on their doors to exploit the new opportunities.
“We must now seriously take caution to ensure that we do not fall behind due to complacency and lack of capabilities, skills and innovation.
“To maintain an encouraging growth momentum, not only is there a pressing need for us to learn to compete in a world market place that is getting increasingly tougher, but we must go through a new process of re-learning and re-thinking and apply major paradigm shifts to be able to come up with higher productivity, higher product quality and the highest quality human resource,” he said when officiating at the council’s photography exhibition at Publika Shopping Gallery in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Ahmad Lai, who is also Sibuti MP, said there was an urgent to put our heads together and think of new ways to bring the Malaysian rubber industry to a greater height.
He said there was no more room for business as usual, and we must widen the net to increase the exports of Malaysian rubber products to as many markets as possible.
He thus suggested that all Malaysian rubber product manufacturers capitalise on all the programmes planned by the council for the years ahead.
The council was established in April 2000 to assist the Malaysian rubber industry in promoting Malaysian rubber products. The council has been successful in assuming its role of enhancing markets for the Malaysian rubber and rubber products globally.
It also has been carrying out many new market promotion activities both domestically and internationally.
The MREPC Photography Exhibition is another milestone in the council’s initiative to promote Made-in-Malaysia rubber products.
“In this exhibition, the council gives a breath of fresh air and artistic perspective to one of Malaysia’s oldest industries – the rubber industry.
“We want Malaysians to realize that rubber products are an integral component of our daily lives – from every room in your house to more complex settings such as medical, automotive and engineering.”