KUCHING – The Kuching Division Drug Merchants’ Association marked its 50th anniversary with a Golden Jubilee celebration on 20 September 2026, recognising five decades of service by members involved in the traditional Chinese medicine and herbal industry.
The association’s members are primarily engaged in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), traditional herbs and related products. Over the past 50 years, businesses within the sector have supplied medicinal herbs, sliced herbs and various Chinese patent medicines to communities in Kuching and beyond.
The anniversary also highlighted the industry’s broader role in preserving traditional medical and pharmaceutical knowledge. Beyond commercial activities, practitioners and businesses have contributed to passing traditional Chinese medical culture from one generation to the next.
TCM has a long-established presence within Sarawak’s Chinese community and has also become part of the wider state’s multicultural social landscape. Its development reflects changes in the way traditional healthcare practices are provided and accessed over the decades.
From traditional medicine halls that served earlier generations to more contemporary TCM clinics and businesses, the sector has continued to operate alongside a changing healthcare and commercial environment.
The 50th anniversary celebration provided an opportunity to recognise that evolution while acknowledging the association’s contribution to the community. The milestone also underscored the continuity of traditional practices within a modern and increasingly diverse Sarawak.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Dr Sim Kui Hian, who attended the celebration, expressed appreciation for the association’s long-standing service and its contribution to the wellbeing of Sarawakians.
He said the association’s work had extended beyond the Chinese community, with its services contributing to the health and wellness of people from different backgrounds across Sarawak.
The Golden Jubilee also served as a recognition of the role played by traditional medicine businesses in maintaining cultural practices and knowledge associated with TCM. Such businesses have remained a point of connection between traditional medical traditions and contemporary communities.
The association’s five-decade milestone comes as the TCM sector continues to balance established practices with changing expectations and modern forms of service delivery. This includes maintaining traditional knowledge while adapting to developments within the industry and the communities it serves.
The anniversary celebration also reflected the relationship between cultural heritage and community-based businesses in Sarawak. For an industry with roots extending across generations, the continued presence of TCM establishments provides one avenue through which traditional practices and knowledge remain part of everyday life.
Dr Sim also thanked members of the association for their contribution to Sarawak’s development, acknowledging their role in serving communities and participating in the state’s broader nation-building efforts.
The 50th anniversary therefore marked both a significant milestone for the Kuching Division Drug Merchants’ Association and an occasion to recognise the contribution of the traditional Chinese medicine and herbal sector to Sarawak’s multicultural society.
