Australia Malaysia Business Council SA

The Hon. J.S. LEE (17:50): I move:

That this council—

1. Congratulates the Australia Malaysia Business Council SA (AMBCSA) for reaching the special milestone of its 30th anniversary in 2024;

2. Recognises that the AMBCSA is a pioneering business chamber that was established by the Malaysian-Australian community with the objectives of fostering, supporting and promoting business, investment and cultural opportunities between Australia and Malaysia;

3. Acknowledges the important work of founding members, current and past presidents, committee members and volunteers of AMBCSA for their hard work, dedication and contributions in fostering bilateral relationships between the Malaysian and South Australian business communities;

4. Commends AMBCSA for working collaboratively with businesses and educational institutions to deliver its flagship annual event 'Merdeka Gala Dinner and Awards Presentation', which serves two main purposes: to celebrate Merdeka—Independence Day of Malaysia and to present Outstanding Students Awards to recognise educational achievements and community contributions by Malaysian students who are studying at South Australian universities and TAFE;

5. Recognises two former Governors of South Australia—former AMBCSA patron, Sir Eric James Neal AC and its current patron Hon. Hieu Van Le AC—for their important contribution and support to AMBCSA; and

6. Reflects on the many achievements of AMBCSA over the three decades and recognises the impact of AMBCSA in the advancement of trade, business and cultural connections between South Australia and Malaysia.

It is my privilege today to congratulate the Australia Malaysia Business Council of South Australia (AMBCSA) on reaching the special milestone of a 30^th anniversary. The Australia Malaysia Business Council was established in 1988 and operates as a member-based business organisation with independent Australian state chapters. The South Australian chapter was established in 1994.

As a first-generation migrant from Malaysia it is no surprise that I have a close working relationship with the Malaysian community of South Australia, and a long association with the Australia Malaysia Business Council. It is a great honour that I have the opportunity, in parliament today, to recognise the AMBCSA for being a pioneering business chamber that was established by the Malaysian-Australian community with the objectives of fostering, supporting and promoting business, investment and cultural opportunities between South Australia and Malaysia.

I want to express my thanks to the founding members and past presidents, particularly the leading business leaders I have had the pleasure to get to know and work with over the years. In particular, I wish to highlight the enormous contributions from three past presidents: Wee Keat Chan, Sathish Dasan and John Kweh. These wonderful gentlemen are successful Malaysian business leaders in their own right, and they continue to be an integral part of AMBC. They continue to be a great sounding board for the current management committee and provide invaluable knowledge, a wealth of experience and exceptional business connections to AMBC.

AMBC has been a leading business council that has attracted highly committed and qualified individuals to join their board. I want to acknowledge the great work by the current executive board by thanking the president, Dr Evelyn Yap OAM; the joint vice-presidents Alan Lim and Terry Lai; the treasurer Esther Wong; the secretary Xiao Wen Tan; and the vice-secretary Rachel Tan; as well as Shanice Mah, Loh Voon San and Melvin Lee. Each board member brings with them their diverse skills and the enthusiasm to manage the affairs of the council, and through their hard work and efforts they have successfully worked collaboratively with businesses and educational institutions to deliver many initiatives.

Strong leadership is the driving force of successful organisations, and I would therefore like to particularly highlight the contributions of the current president, Dr Evelyn Yap OAM. Dr Evelyn Yap is a distinguished figure in both the medical field and in community service, with over 30 years of dedicated service in Adelaide. She is a partner at Benson Radiology and is the Senior Staff Consultant at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital as well as Senior Visiting Medical Specialist at BreastScreen SA.

In addition to her distinguished career as a radiologist, Evelyn has selflessly contributed to supporting migrants and multiculturalism through her involvement on other boards, including as a board member of the Australian Migrant Resource Centre, a board member of the Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation, chair of the Council of Migrant Refugee Women, ambassador of the OzAsia Festival, past president of the Australian Chinese Medical Association SA, past president of the Malaysia Club of SA, and previous trustee of the Australian Chinese Medical Association SA Foundation.

Evelyn's influence extends across multiple facets of community life. She was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2023 for her outstanding service to medicine and multiculturalism. She was also awarded Woman of Distinction by the Asia-Pacific Business Council for Women in 2019.

I think it is most appropriate to use the phrase 'standing on the shoulders of giants' to describe the next two significant figures of AMBC I would like to mention. AMBC has been able to grow and expand because of the collective mentorship of two giants, whom all honourable members in this parliament would know exceptionally well. The AMBC has been incredibly fortunate to enjoy the tremendous support and patronage of their former patrons Sir Eric James Neal AC and current patron the Hon. Hieu Van Le AC, both very influential former governors who are passionate about multiculturalism and developing business relationships between South Australia and other countries.

The Hon. Hieu Van Le is a well-known champion of multiculturalism and has worked hard throughout his life to advance multicultural organisations and causes and to enrich our vibrant and diverse state. He has brought this experience with him to provide guidance to AMBC SA members and to help the group develop further. Sir Eric James Neal was also a well-respected patron of the AMBC for many years and shares a strong connection with the Malaysian business community in our state. As Governor, Sir Eric Neal used the role as a de facto trade commissioner for SA, leading delegations to Malaysia, China, Sweden, the US and the United Kingdom, playing a vital yet discreet role promoting SA as a business destination.

Thank you to Sir Eric Neal and the Hon. Hieu Van Le for their strong patronage of the AMBC SA. Through their leadership, alongside the executive board, the AMBC SA has been able to deliver strong business connections and opportunities to its members and the wider community in South Australia.

The Malaysian community in South Australia continues to grow, with close to 10,000 people living in South Australia listing their country of birth as Malaysia, according to the 2021 census data. That would include me as well. Adelaide continues to be a key education destination for thousands of Malaysian international students. Over the years, many graduates have chosen Adelaide as their home and they become an important part of our workforce, contributing professionally across many industries and to our local economy.

In order to continue fostering the bilateral relationship between Malaysia and South Australia, the AMBC SA engages in several activities such as trade delegations, government advocacy and business networking, and hosts or has hosted many seminars and webinars. They also support international students through their flagship event, the Merdeka Gala Dinner and awards presentation.

The Merdeka Gala Dinner is the AMBC's annual charity event, which also celebrates Malaysia's Independence Day, known as Merdeka. This esteemed event not only serves as a pivotal fundraising initiative for various deserving causes but also fosters a spirit of community and shared heritage. Past beneficiaries include the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation, Foodbank SA, the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation, KickStart for Kids, the Little Heroes Foundation and many others.

The highlight of the gala, though, are the Merdeka awards, which are presented to outstanding Malaysian students in their final year of university and TAFE studies in Adelaide. They celebrate academic excellence, community service and leadership, embodying the spirit of Merdeka, or independence, through the achievements of the Malaysian student community in South Australia.

Over many years, I have had the great pleasure of attending many Merdeka galas. I have always been impressed by the scale of the celebrations and the huge number of supporters across the business and multicultural communities who come together to celebrate our diverse state and to also generously give back to the community.

Once again, I want to congratulate the AMBC SA for reaching the significant milestone of their 30^th anniversary. I thank them for strengthening bilateral business and cultural relationships for 30 years, and I wish the AMBC SA much success and growth into the future. I commend the motion.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.