AIPUR (Rajasthan), Jan 16 (Bernama) — The northern Indian state of Rajasthan has an ambitious plan to build a 20,000 km road network and wants Malaysian firms to participate in the projects. The plan, to be executed through public-private partnership (PPP) mode, was announced during the state’s 2014-15 Budget. The first phase of 29 packages will comprise of 8,910 km or 132 highways. “We are really keen to have the investments from Malaysia,” Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said during her bilateral meeting with Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed on the sidelines of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit 2015 here today. Also present at the 10-minute meeting was Malaysian High Commissioner Datuk Naimun Ashakali Mohammad. Vasundhara, who expressed hope the venture would pave the way for many fruitful relationships, also invited Malaysia to be a partner country for the state’s largest investor meet, Resurgent...

AVOS (Switzerland), Jan 20 (Bernama) — “More Opportunities”. That is what Malaysia is set to offer at the upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF), which starts tomorrow until Jan 24. Whether it is business opportunities or ease of doing business in Malaysia, there are plenty to offer on the table amid concerns by economists around the world of a very challenging first half, this year. All preparations to hold the 45th annual forum at the world’s famous ski resort of Davos-Klosters in Switzerland are in place despite the shivering cold weather. With this year’s forum themed, “The New Global Context”, more than 40 head of states and government, together with 2,500 business leaders, will convene for five days here to discuss current global economic landscapes and strategies, moving forward. Eye-catching banners reading “Malaysia Doing Business. Building Friendships” and “More Opportunities”, placed at strategic locations around the Panorama Hotel, can be spotted...

DAVOS (Switzerland), Jan 21 (Bernama) — The opposition claim that the Malaysian economy is in crisis is absurd and irresponsible, says International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. He said the baseless accusation made by the opposition, which compared the country’s current economic situation to the likes of the 1997/1998 economic financial crisis, was not based on facts and indepth research. “In actual fact, in matters concerning core issues such as the nation’s economy, racial ties and religion, we must think as one. “In this aspect, it is clear that the opposition is attempting to shake the confidence of people and the international community of Malaysia’s economic prospects. “This is an irresponsible action,” he told Malaysian reporters on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum which began here on Tuesday. Describing the current economic situation as challenging, Mustapa said the situation today was far different from what occurred...

NEW DELHI, Jan 21 (Bernama) — The ‘Make In India’ campaign which aims to attract more investments to the country offers immense potential for Malaysian firms, especially the construction and infrastructure companies. While the campaign is slanted towards the manufacturing sector, the latter needs a conducive ecosystem to flourish including infrastructure, in which Malaysia is a strong player. “We are not strong in the manufacturing sector, but we can participate in infrastructure development,” Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, who recently concluded a trade and investment mission to India, said. Malaysia is no stranger in India’s infrastructure development. According to the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), Malaysian firms have completed infrastructure projects worth US$5.1 billion (RM18.17 billion) in India. Malaysian construction and infrastructure companies have vast opportunities opened up in India’s effort...

DAVOS, Jan 24 (Bernama) — The 1Malaysia spirit shown by the Malaysian government, private sector and non-governmental organisation (NGO) delegates at the 45th World Economic Forum here have put the Malaysia brand squarely on the world stage. Although Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had to cut short his proceedings at the WEF this time to pay his last respects to Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who passed away early on Friday, the other Malaysian delegates worked hard to ensure Malaysia’s objectives at WEF were met. International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said although it was his eighth WEF participation, the response to brand Malaysia this time around was extraordinary. “This time there was good cooperation among government, private sector and NGO delegates enabling us to achieve extraordinary success at the WEF,” he told Malaysian journalists after Friday’s ‘Malaysia Night’ featuring Malaysian cuisine and...

Asean will officially call itself a single market by year’s end, but “big things” like seamless travel within the 10-nation bloc would only come in 2020, Malaysia’s trade minister told AFP in an interview. “We’re going to declare ourselves as an Asean Economic Community,” said Mustapa Mohamed, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Southeast Asian bloc this year. “We don’t have complete integration or harmonisation yet, 2015 is laying the stage for bigger things to come,” he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. “We’re going to get almost there by 2015 but the big things like seamless travel… would come in 2020. “What’s important is that we’re committed, I’m not saying that we’re backtracking,” added the minister. The Southeast Asian bloc, a market of about 600 million people, had set 2015 as a deadline for integrating the region’s vast economies into a single European Union-style market, with tariffs...

KUALA LUMPUR: China’s decelerating growth may be a hard landing for exporters, but trade will continue to grow with hard work, says Minister of International Trade and Industry (Miti) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. He said China, the foremost trade partner for 120 countries in the world, grew by 7.4 per cent last year, and is very competitive to all exporters vying to gain a market share in that country. “As we work hard to promote our exports, many others will come up with their own initiatives to gain from the Chinese market. “As such, we hope our people will be more aggressive and continue to do well in the big China market,” he added. Mustapa also expressed the view that Malaysia can overcome the turbulence in the global economy as it is more diversified, with China making up only 13 per cent of exports, while having other export partners as Northeast Asia, the US , Japan, South Korea and the European Union. Speaking to reporters at the launch of the “My Asean...

“I’m Mustapa Mohamed. I am the Minister of International Trade and Industry. Welcome to Malaysia.” Demikian kata Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri di atas pentas dalam khemah berbentuk ‘dome’ yang dipasang khas di belakang Panaroma Hotel, di Davos, Switzerland, malam Sabtu lalu.

 

Beliau menggantikan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak untuk mengalu-alukan tetamu ke Malam Malaysia yang dianjurkan untuk 3,000 peserta Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF) itu.

Tengah hari sebelum acara itu, Najib bergegas ke Riyadh, Arab Saudi untuk menghadiri pengebumian Raja Abdullah Abdul Aziz Al Saud dan Mustapa terpaksa mengambil alih tugas Perdana Menteri.

Mustapa tidak kelihatan janggal dan kira-kira 500 tetamu memberikan tumpuan kepada kata-kata aluannya dengan sesekali mencuit hati mereka.

Keseluruhan yang hadir pada malam itu ialah 1,500 orang yang datang secara silih berganti, mengatasi rekod kehadiran 1,000 orang ketika WEF 2013.

Penulis yang turut berada di Davos pada...

Kuala Lumpur: Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri (MITI) optimis eksport pasaran produk halal negara akan melepasi RM32 bilion tahun ini walaupun berdepan dengan situasi kejatuhan nilai ringgit serta penurunan harga minyak mentah dunia. Ini berikutan kelemahan kedua-dua sektor berkenaan memberi kesan positif kepada peningkatan perdagangan produk halal ke pasaran asing memandangkan negara pengimport boleh membeli dengan harga murah serta meningkatkan kapasiti pengeluaran dari Malaysia. Timbalan Menterinya, Datuk Hamim Samuri berkata, ramuan halal menjadi sektor terpenting eksport itu memandangkan ketika ini Malaysia menjadi pengeksport utama dunia dan ia belum banyak diterokai oleh negara lain berbanding sektor makanan dan minuman. Beliau berkata, setakat separuh pertama 2014, sektor ramuan halal menyumbang RM6 bilion kepada jumlah keseluruhan eksport berjumlah RM18 bilion dan dijangka berkembang tahun ini. “Semua produk halal memerlukan ramuan bagi dikeluarkan...

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 27 (Bernama) — ASEAN has truly gained traction as an potentially dynamic economic entity with huge prospects for trade and investment. This will undoubtedly take on greater prominence with the realisation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by the end of this year. Undoubtedly, the AEC has created a conducive environment for local companies to increase sales, open operations outside their domestic market and enable sourcing on a region-wide basis. Its significance by being the seventh largest economy in the world with a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of US$2.5 trillion, has attracted more non-ASEAN countries to be dialogue partners with it including Bangladesh and Timor Leste. Realising its potential back then, Australia was the first to come on board as a dialogue partner, quickly followed by China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, India, the United States, Russia, Canada and the European Union. To take this significantly further, ASEAN is in...