KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Bernama) — Malaysia is on course to achieve total trade growth of between five-six per cent in 2014, says International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. He said broad recovery was seen in electrical and electronics exports while the trade surplus had become healthier in the first two months of 2014. “We have done well in the first two months. The performance has exceeded that of the same period last year,” he added. Mustapa was speaking to reporters after the launch of a book by former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Musa Hitam here Monday. The book, 21st Century Economics in the Muslim World, is a compilation of views on current economic issues of special interest to those following developments in the Muslim world. Malaysia’s trade in 2013 expanded by 4.6 per cent to RM1.36 trillion from RM1.309 trillion in 2012, boosted by a better export performance. The trade surplus last year amounted to RM70.63 billion. It was the 16th...

SPANISH businesses are keen to invest in Malaysia and have expressed keen interest in broad sectors, including the high-speed rail project linking Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said Spain’s investments in Malaysia, although small, still totalled a significant US$2.5 billion (RM8.2 billion) through Acerinox and Tecnicas Reunidas. This, he said, had lifted Spain’s profile in Malaysia.“The flow of investments from Spain marks a diversification in the volume of quality investments we are targeting for in Europe,” he said at a forum on investment opportunities, here, yesterday.Germany, Britain and France are traditionally the main sources of foreign direct investments to Malaysia.For the first half of this year, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority has approved US$64.8 million in investments from manufacturing projects.Mustapa is leading the biggest high-powered delegation to Spain, which included...

PETALING JAYA, Nov 4 (Bernama) — The open market under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) should be viewed as an opportunity, rather than a threat, says Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed. He also debunked fears among sections of the younger generation that the AEC with its free movement of professionals might rob them of employment opportunities. “The perception and fear is unfounded, although we have signed mutual recognition agreements for the free movement of professionals like accountants, engineers, surveyors, doctors, architects and lawyers, subject to domestic rules and regulations, and not totally unregulated,” he said. He said Malaysia has been a net capital exporter for the last four to five years with many Malaysian companies investing large amounts of money abroad. “This has also opened up opportunities for young professional to venture abroad,” he added. He told reporters this after officiating the closing of the...

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 ( Bernama) — Malaysia’s economic scorecard under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint is currently at 83.9 per cent with 70 out of 436 variable measures still not being implemented, says Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad. The minister said Malaysia was now ranked sixth among the ten ASEAN countries in AEC’s economic scorecard. He said he was confident to be able to implement at least half of the 70 unimplemented variables in six months’ time or middle of next year to improve the country’s ranking. “The variables, among others, fall under different category measures like trade in goods, elimination of non-tariff barriers, service liberalisation and non ratification of agreements and involving many sectors,” he said. Mustapa said this at a media briefing after chairing an inter-agency meetings on AEC with ministers in the capital, Monday. “Overall, ASEAN has implemented 82.1 per cent of...

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 (Bernama) — The ministries of International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) and Human Resource will look into the allegations on forced labour the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector in Malaysia. According to news report, the US Labour Department would put Malaysian on the “International Ranking on Forced Labour” watch list in December on findings from a global non-governmental organisation, Verite, on labour issues in the sector. The US Labour Department-funded Verite highlighted several issues regarding employment in the country’s E&E sector including deceptive recruitment, poor living conditions and passport retention. “This could be on misinformation. We will have constant engagements with the relevant authorities regarding the issues. “It is important to have correct information and that should be corrected accordingly,” International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed told Bernama Tuesday. “Sometimes, there...

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia recorded a 9.1. per cent growth in investments in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period in 2013. International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the total RM172.3 billion investments were in services, primary and manufacturing sectors. The services sector was the largest in terms of investments, number of projects and enployment opportunities. The real estate sub sector attracted 56.4 per cent of investments in the servives sector. “The manufacturing sector also did well, recording the highest for the first nine months,” he told a media briefing today. Malaysia recorded RM63.5 billion for the period of January to September. Mustapa said the leading sources of foreign investments were Japan. Singapore, China, Germany and Korea.  

DHAKA 13 Jan. – Malaysia dan Bangladesh sepakat untuk meneruskan rundingan Perjanjian Perdagangan Bebas (FTA) yang tertangguh sejak lima tahun lalu dalam usaha meningkat hubungan dagangan antara kedua-dua negara. Kesepakatan itu dicapai oleh Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed dalam pertemuan beliau dengan Menteri Perdagangan Bangladesh, Tofail Ahmed. Dalam pertemuan itu, Mustapa yang dalam misi pelaburan dan perdagangan ke negara ini turut disertai oleh Pesuruhjaya Tinggi Malaysia ke Bangladesh, Norlin Othman dan Timbalan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Matrade, Datuk Dzulkifli Mahmud. Mustapa berkata, kedua-dua belah pihak bersetuju supaya suruhanjaya bersama kedua-dua negara mengadakan perbincangan lanjut mengenai perkara tersebut di Kuala Lumpur pada Mac ini. “Kita telah memulakan rundingan lima tahun lalu berhubung kemungkinan mengadakan FTA antara Bangladesh dan Malaysia, namun tidak banyak kemajuan sejak beberapa tahun...

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...

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 21 (Bernama) — YAB Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia will be leading the Malaysian delegation to the Annual Meeting of the WEF which will be held in Davos, Switzerland from 21 until 24 January 2015.YAB Prime Minister will be accompanied by YABhg. Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor; YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry; YB Senator Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid Omar, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Department and senior officials from the various Ministries and agencies. The high-level delegation will also include the participation of Malaysia’s corporate leaders. YAB Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several sessions including a meeting of the ASEAN Regional Business Council (ARBC) themed “Shaping a Bold and Forward Looking Future for ASEAN in the New Global Context” where he is invited to deliver a speech as the special guest. The Prime Minister will also be attending the Informal Gathering of the...