President’s Message

Shirley Tay

President, 2020-2022 Malaysia Retail Chain Association

Dear Members,

Time passes in the blink of an eye. It goes to show that ‘time and tide waits for no man’. Amidst the many waves of the pandemic and the ups and downs we have faced, we have to now take stock of the prospects and opportunities that this year holds for us.

So much has happened in the last two years, and we have seen retailers braving the COVID-19 pandemic to keep their businesses afloat. Despite this challenging landscape, we have seen many victories and achievements as well. Since I took o ce as the President, my council members and I have been focusing on the six key objectives that we aimed to achieve in our term which are networking and liaison; to elevate and upli women entrepreneurs; to build alliances for members who are in the F&B industry; to educate, share and enhance retail and business know-how and technology; to assist in recoveries; and, to set up a pertinent information hub and an e cient secretariat.

On that note, we have managed to conduct numerous events, activities, conferences, webinars, trainings, dialogues with government and trade organisations. We also carried out many fundraising projects and sports for charity, among others.

As you are aware, the community has su ered disasters and calamities, and MRCA has reached out to the impacted through our relief e orts, as well as donations in cash and kind. I urge our members to continue to give back to society and lend a helping hand to those in need. At the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, MRCA and MRCA Branding Education Charity Foundation raised RM400,000 for the Sungai Buloh Hospital Fund, to provide personal protective equipment (PPE), air puri ers, sanitisers and other medical supplies to frontliners at the hospital. MRCA also joined hands with the Direct Selling Association of Malaysia (DSAM) in pledging support for the white flag movement to help those struggling nancially and in desperate need of food and supplies during the pandemic movement restriction period. MRCA and DSAM contributed approximately RM400,000 towards the purchase of essential food items. 2021 also saw the floods and natural disasters rocking communities and business owners. In reaching out to the needy during trying times, we were able to contribute close to RM25,000 in cash and in kind to various individuals and communities to help them navigate these tough times.

During these challenging times, we were able to lobby the government in accelerating the restoration and rejuvenation of the retail industry. In addition to that, we actively worked on driving collaborations with the government bodies, trade associations, commerce chambers, other related industries and foreign governments in order to revive the retail engine in the country.

In fact, recently, MRCA together with the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of KL and Selangor (KLSCCCI), Malaysia Steel & Metal Distributors’ Association (MSMDA) and Building Materials Distributors Association of Malaysia (BMDAM), came together to network and discussed possible collaborations for mutual bene ts, among our other extensive e orts.

Aside from that, in 2021 we also launched MRCA’s F&B Division, which is aimed at providing our members in the F&B industry with resources, knowledge and know-how to excel and progress in their businesses.

Our Women’s Division has also been actively delivering numerous events, talks and webinars to upli the role of women in business. To-date, we have witnessed many achievements of MRCA’s very own women members. Several also shared their success stories and knowledge unsel shly with us.

President’s Highlights

MRCA Youth Division has gained tremendous momentum through its various events, workshops and networking sessions, among others. These activities were organised to equip members with the knowledge and skills to start, manage and expand their retail businesses. Especially during the pandemic, the Youth Division has been reaching out to retailers to assist them to weather the economic upheaval.

I would also like to mention the excellent progress of the MRCA Southern Chapter, which has been actively reaching out to retailers as well as local associations to spur the retail industry in Malaysia’s southern economic corridor. At the same time, they have also been exploring ways to aid the needy with job opportunities and food supply.

Just to share some updates on the latest developments – since our last Members’ Meeting in December 2021, we successfully carried out 56 activities that include interactions with government agencies, trade associations, industry partners and even foreign entities.

We also visited the Cambodian Embassy to discuss trade mission visits, business matching and securing manpower from the country.

Another special occasion that we will be organising is MRCA’s 30th anniversary – a proud testimony of the association’s resilience, commitment and impact in the retail industry. I look forward to seeing all our members actively participating and joining this auspicious celebration on 8 April with us.

In July this year, we will be organising the Malaysian International Retail and Franchise Exhibition (MIRF) which is one of the biggest highlights of the year for MRCA, showcasing Malaysia’s best and most established retail businesses and brands. I encourage all MRCA members to participate in this sterling event, to capitalise on excellent business opportunities available in both local and international markets.

We have been actively providing our members with the guidance and knowledge in harnessing the opportunities available in the market as well as keeping up with the latest developments, through our educational programmes and training courses.

This month also marks the end of my term as the President of MRCA, and I would like to say that the last two years have been an exhilarating experience for me and my council members. I have had the honour to serve this association and this experience has given me so many learnings and life experiences, for which I am truly grateful.

As I hand over the baton to my successor, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the President Council, MRCA Advisors, Council members, members of the secretariat and all our esteemed members for your unwavering support throughout my tenure. Although faced with many challenges and hurdles, I am proud to say that MRCA has continued to keep the torch burning through this unprecedented time. It has indeed been an honour for me to be able to serve and to participate in rebuilding, restoring and revitalising the retail engine of the country following the a ermath of the pandemic.

I wish MRCA and its members all the best. You have great leaders at hand, so do continue to work with them to build a robust retail industry in Malaysia.

Enjoy the publication, and wishing you a great year ahead.