KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- There has been a strong signal of interest from potential investors from Holland to invest in Malaysia, especially in the services sector, says Datuk Jalilah Baba, Director-General of the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA). "The focus in Holland is the services sector as it contributes 80 per cent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP)," she said.

The interest was the direct result of International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed's current trade and investment mission to that country, the first stop in his eight-day visit to three European cities -- Amsterdam, Hamburg and Birmingham.

"There is strong interest from Holland to expand in Malaysia. Among parties that have shown interest are people involved in the logistics (industry)," she told reporters at a national seminar entitled "Statistics of International Trade in Services."

Within the 27-member European Union (EU), Holland was Malaysia's second largest trading partner last year, with total trade amounting to US$6.2 billion (RM20.7 billion) or 19.8 per cent.

Until December last year, Dutch companies undertook 163 projects, with investments worth US$4 billion (RM13.4 billion).

The main investment sector was petroleum and petrochemical products, electrical and electronic equipment, chemical and chemical goods, foodstuff and natural gas.

-- BERNAMA