Pantun Sets Tone For Tealive-Dutch Lady Business Cooperation

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 (Bernama) -- A “pantun”, two familiar consumer brands and a call for stronger business cooperation came together at the launch of Tealive and Dutch Lady Malaysia’s ready-to-drink dairy beverage collaboration today.

Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Minister Steven Sim, who launched the collaboration, said partnerships between local companies and multinational corporations (MNCs) could serve as a good model for strengthening Malaysian brands and moving the country beyond merely being a manufacturing base. 

He opened his remarks with a pantun:

“Dalam baju ada bunga,

Sang kumbang singgah tepi;

Dalam Sunway terjalin bersama,

Dua jenama bergabung sekali.”

The pantun, which roughly refers to two brands coming together in Sunway, reflected the spirit of the event.

Using images of a flower and a beetle as metaphors for cooperation, it captured how a Malaysian brand and an MNC could combine their respective strengths to create a new product offering for consumers.

“This is not about being ‘syok sendiri’ (self-absorbed) in changing from ‘Made in Malaysia’ to ‘Made by Malaysia’.

“It is because of the global economic trend where we are facing very tough competition, not only in this region but also from major economies,” Sim told reporters on the sidelines of the launch.

Sim said Malaysia’s previous economic model had largely focused on building factories and manufacturing products, while technology, branding and design were held by foreign companies.

“Tealive is a Malaysian brand, and this collaboration with an MNC is a very good model,” he said, adding that he hoped to see more such collaborations in the market, especially those involving local entrepreneurs.

-- BERNAMA