Tashkent, Uzbekistan 22 August 2026
Central Asia Group (CAG), coordinated the official handover of office equipment to the “Surdo-Online Uzbekistan” project – a donation from Malaysia’s Great Heart Charity Association (GHCA) www.greatheartcharity.org.my in support of communication services for Uzbekistan’s deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
The ceremony was hosted at the Scientific-Research Institute for Tourism Development (TRIDM) www.tridm.uz under the Committee of Tourism of the Republic of Uzbekistan, on Buyuk Ipak Yoli Street in Tashkent.
A bridge that carries more than commerce
CAG has spent years building connections between Central Asia and Southeast Asia typically through government-to-government relations, trade and commercial advisory. This engagement took that same bridge in a different direction.
A GHCA delegation of twenty volunteers travelled from Malaysia to Uzbekistan for the mission, led by Mr. Ric See Swee Poh, Co-Founder and Managing Director of the Great Heart Charity Association. The donation supports the establishment of the Surdo-Online call centre, developed together with the NGO “Association of Managers of Uzbekistan” – a service designed to ensure that people who cannot hear can still be understood.
Remarks at the ceremony were delivered by Tabarruk Nabijon, Co-Founder and President of Central Asia Group; Tan Lin Chung, Co-Founder and CEO of CAG (M) Sdn. Bhd. in Malaysia; and Mr. Martin Ang, President of the Malaysian Consortium of Mid-Tier Companies (MCMTC) www.mcmtc.my and Director of Julie’s Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.
“The same bridge that carries commerce carried kindness,”
The presence of MCMTC’s leadership underlined the growing engagement of Malaysia’s mid-tier business community with Central Asia not only in trade and market expansion, but in social and humanitarian partnership.
Beyond the handover
The programme extended well past the donation itself. TRIDM introduced the delegation to its work training professional sign-language tourist guides the “Surdo Guides” initiative and hosted an interactive “Wishes Wall” symbolising the growing partnership between the organisations. Discussions also covered future cooperation on digital and AI-based accessibility solutions for people with hearing impairments.
CAG extends its thanks to Mr. Ric See Swee Poh and the Great Heart Charity Association for their generosity, to H.E. Mr. Shaikhov and the Association of Managers of Uzbekistan for their partnership and leadership on the ground, and to TRIDM Director Elena V. Golisheva and her team for hosting the event.
CAG regards this engagement as a beginning rather than a single occasion, and looks forward to supporting further collaboration between Malaysia and Uzbekistan in inclusive and socially focused initiatives.
