Latest news with #MCCC
Borneo Post
2 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
New Metro City Convention Centre set to boost Matang's economy, event scene
azzrudin (fourth left), joins other dignitaries in a ribbon-cutting ceremony during the soft launch of MCCC and Modern Living Home Expo. – Photo by Chimon Upon KUCHING (June 6): The newly established Metro City Convention Centre (MCCC) in Matang is set to become a key driver of local economic growth and a landmark event venue in the area, said Tupong assemblyman Datuk Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman. Located on previously undeveloped land, the centre was developed by Sustainable Management Sdn Bhd and features a modular canopy structure – the first of its kind in Kuching. 'This initiative reflects the creativity and commitment of the private sector in supporting local economic development,' Fazzrudin said during the soft launch of MCCC today, in conjunction with the Modern Living Home Expo, which runs through Sunday. He noted that MCCC provides an alternative to the existing Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK), offering a more flexible, high-capacity, and cost-effective venue for organisers and exhibitors. With a maximum capacity of up to 10,000 people, the centre is now one of the largest event spaces in Sarawak. Fazzrudin added that the modular design enables reduced construction costs and more competitive rental rates compared to permanent structures. 'Our economy is driven by the private sector, and when complemented by support from the government, we can achieve meaningful synergy,' he said. He further stressed the strategic collaboration between the public and private sectors in spurring economic growth. 'Economic growth not only creates jobs but also increases disposable income within the community,' he said. The chief political secretary to Sarawak Premier also pointed out that MCCC would generate economic spillover effects across various sectors, particularly benefitting the food and beverage industry, retail businesses, and vendors at the Metro City Night Market. 'When a major event takes place here, visitors won't just attend the expo – they'll explore nearby food stalls, furniture shops, and other local outlets,' he said. 'This will directly benefit small traders and the surrounding community,' he added. The developer, according to him, has future plans to convert MCCC into a permanent concrete structure based on its performance and public reception. He expressed optimism that the centre will serve as a catalyst for long-term physical development in Matang and nearby areas. fazzrudin abdul rahman lead matang MCCC Metro City Convention Centre
Borneo Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Borneo Post
Sabah aims to become China-Malaysia halal hub
Dexter Lau KOTA KINABALU (June 5): The Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah Branch is reaffirming its strategic alliance with the World Halalprenuer Council to focus on positioning Sabah as the gateway for China-Malaysia halal ecosystem, as well as transforming Sabah into an international halal hub. Its president, Datuk Dexter Lau, disclosed that both parties met recently and agreed to turn their prior strategic engagement into actionable collaborative frameworks. 'We will be specifically focusing on bilateral halal trade, education, publication leadership and the joint organization of prestigious and documentation initiatives,' he said. Dexter said the chamber had appointed four of their committee members namely MCCC Sabah first vice president Jacky Chin, treasurer Shawn Tan, committee members Lanice Ng and Dr Gloria Chang as the working committee of WHC Sabah Chapter. Dexter strongly believes with their appointment and MCCC Sabah's participation, it would benefit the chamber's members greatly as it would provide exposure and expand visibility in international stage through WHC global events, publications and digital platforms. The strategic collaboration will also bridge the linkage in bilateral trade and investment of halalprenuer as well as womenprenuer between China and Malaysia, particularly Sabah. Dexter has confidence in Sabah's great potential to become the international halal hub for Southeast Asia as the its position provides access to fast growing markets with significant Muslim population in the region. 'With the continuous support and encouragement from the government in promoting international trade and investment, we believe it won't be too long to materialize our objectives and to boost Sabah's halal trade and investment to a higher level,' According to the Global Islamic Economy Index, the global Islamic halal economy is projected to reach a market value of USD$7.7 trillion by 2025, a significant increase from its value of USD$3.2 trillion in 2015 as the growth is fuelled by the increasing demand for Shariah-compliant investments and products. Malaysia is the global leader in the halal industry which contributes almost 10% of the country GDP, and is projected to grow further with exports valued at billions of ringgit as the country continues to be at the forefront of halal innovation, exploring areas like AI-driven supply chain platforms and plant-based pharmaceuticals. Malaysia's largest component of the halal economy is the food services sector, with business revenue in the sector estimated at USD$31 billion (RM128.8 billion) in 2021 and forecast to reach USD$47.6 billion (RM201,02 billion) by 2025.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MA community colleges face wage crisis, union acts
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Community College educators from across the state launched a campaign aimed at the wage crisis. The Massachusetts Community College Council, which is the union that represents the faculty and staff at the 15 community colleges across Massachusetts, is taking to billboards around the state to share that they are looking for more realistic wages. Claudine Barnes, the President of MCCC, told 22News, 25 years ago, the MCCC agreed with the state to take on a new teaching load in exchange for wages that would keep up with 10 comparable states, but she tells us, that's not the case She tells us, their workloads have increased, but their salaries have not significantly increased. 'We are currently, for full-time faculty, our average salaries are 48% behind the national average community college faculty salaries. And if you compare Massachusetts to California, which is the state with the closest cost of living to Massachusetts, we are more than 70% behind their average salaries.' Barnes said they have a problem recruiting faculty and staff due to the wages compared to the cost of living in Massachusetts, stating that positions remain vacant or faculty leave after only a few years when they can't live on the salary. They hope that by putting nearly 30 billboards up across the state and in communities with that community college, the public will realize the struggles and call on lawmakers to help. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Express
13-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce passes six resolutions
Published on: Tuesday, May 13, 2025 Published on: Tue, May 13, 2025 By: Wu Vui Tek Text Size: Sabah's ports, airports, and road logistics networks are underdeveloped, leading to higher transport costs and inefficient supply chains. - Pic for illustration only. Kota Kinabalu: Six resolutions has been passed including calling for the government to enhance infrastructure and logistic development in Sabah at the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Sabah Chapter 5th General Assembly at the Sabah International Convention Centre. The six resolutions are as follows: 1. Call for the government to simplify import and export approval processes to facilitate Sabah's international trade and investment. Rationale: The current import-export approval procedures in Sabah are complicated, resulting in increased trade costs and reduced international competitiveness. Compared to other regions, Sabah's customs clearance efficiency is lower, affecting business operations and the attraction of foreign investments. Establishing a 'single window' platform and improving the electronic customs declaration system will enhance approval efficiency, reduce administrative burdens, and drive trade growth. 2. Call for the government and authorities to strengthen infrastructure and logistics development in Sabah. Rationale: Sabah's ports, airports, and road logistics networks are underdeveloped, leading to higher transport costs and inefficient supply chains. Upgrading port and airport facilities and accelerating rural road development will help reduce logistics costs, enhance regional competitiveness, and attract more domestic and foreign investors. 3. Call for the government to address labour shortages and reform foreign labour policies. Rationale: The agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors in Sabah have long suffered from labour shortages. The foreign worker application process is cumbersome and approval takes too long, affecting business operations. Simplifying the approval process, implementing transparent management systems, and strengthening local workforce training can effectively alleviate the labour shortage. 4. Call for the government to boost international marketing efforts to revive Sabah's tourism industry and promote international cooperation. Rationale: Sabah's tourism sector has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, with international tourist numbers remaining low. Increasing direct flights from major source countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan, providing government financial support for tourism operators, and enhancing overseas promotional efforts will help the tourism industry fully recover. 5. Call for the government to accelerate the development of renewable energy and the green economy. Rationale: Sabah remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and its renewable energy sector lags behind. This creates high costs for businesses shifting to green energy. Government-provided tax incentives, subsidies, financing support, and accelerated development of new energy infrastructure would encourage clean energy adoption and promote sustainable development in Sabah. 6. Proposal for the government to implement timely and effective measures to support the digital transformation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Rationale: SMEs in Sabah lack funding and technical support for digitalisation, making it hard for them to adapt to market changes. Establishing special funds, offering low-interest loans, and launching digital training programmes will enhance SME competitiveness and accelerate Sabah's digital economic development. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Sky News
25-02-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Lord's tenant Middlesex County Cricket Club eyes end to mutual ownership
The 161 year-old Middlesex County Cricket Club (MCCC) is kicking off a secret review of its mutual ownership status as it seeks to place the Lord's-based outfit on a sustainable long-term financial footing. Sky News can exclusively reveal that Middlesex has drafted in Oakvale, a specialist sports and gaming corporate finance advisor, to explore a range of options, which insiders confirmed on Tuesday would include the longer-term possibility of a demutualisation and partial sale. Prospective investors are already understood to have begun being sounded out about the early-stage plans. Sources said there were no plans for the club to move away from or stop playing at Lord's, adding that demutualisation and ceding its member-owned status were not "immediately" on the agenda. The review is the latest to involve one of English cricket's 18 professional counties, and follows the recent sale of a controlling stake in Hampshire to the GMR Group, the owner of the Indian Premier League franchise the Delhi Capitals. News of Middlesex's review comes within weeks of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) securing a landmark windfall of £520m to be injected into the professional and recreational game from the auction of its 49% stakes in the sport's eight Hundred tournament franchises. The most lucrative of those came from the sale of the Lord's-based London Spirit team, which was valued at £295m after being at the centre of a fierce bidding war eventually won by a group of American technology billionaires. These included the Indian-born chief executives of Google and Microsoft, with the consortium led by Nikesh Arora, the former SoftBank executive. Cricket insiders tipped the consortium to explore whether a bid to inject funding into the MCCC would also make sense. The Hundred auction will rank as a financially transformational moment for the sport, coming at a time when many of the professional counties - including Yorkshire - have been struggling to make ends meet. While the MCCC will benefit from an estimated windfall of more than £20m from the distribution of the ECB's proceeds from the Hundred sell-off, its financial position is comparatively weaker than other first-class counties. It pays rent to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owner of Lord's, and unlike most counties does not own or have a direct financial interest in its home ground. This is said to have made exploiting its commercial assets more challenging. The MCCC was founded in February 1864 by a "gathering of gentleman of Middlesex in the London Tavern", according to the club's official history. Middlesex made its debut in June 1864 at the Cattle Market Ground in Islington, and has been based at Lord's since 1877. It has won the County Championship 13 times, and counts English cricket legends including Denis Compton, Mike Gatting and Andrew Strauss among its former players. This summer, the New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson will play for Middlesex in the Vitality Blast and Rothesay County Championship. Currently owned by its roughly-7,000 members, its status as a mutual means it is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. According to people close to the process, at least 50% of the MCCC's members would need to vote in a ballot for it to be legitimate, which one described as challenging because many of the club's members acquire membership solely in order to secure tickets for Test matches played at Lord's. Even if a future vote were to be valid, 75% of those casting their ballots would need to vote in favour of ending its mutually owned status. To date, only three professional counties have demutualised, with two of those - Hampshire and Northamptonshire - doing so to avoid collapse, with the other, Durham, going bust. One source described the MCCC as one of the biggest brands in global cricket, and said the strategic review was aimed at ensuring the club would be competitive in all forms of the game, as well as financially sustainable, over the next 50 years. According to one prospective investor, Oakvale's analysis is expected to focus on protecting the MCCC's heritage, as well as the interests of members and Middlesex's fan base. A spokesman for the MCCC declined to comment on Tuesday.
