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All in all, the ultimate goal of ESG is to build resilience. In this time of disorder, this resilience is important so that we can shape, to a certain extent, the global order.

Efficiency is no longer the only priority, and derisking is key to many corporations. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) is well-positioned to build a future-ready regional supply chain with enhanced economic security and resilience. This was the key message I shared at my panel discussion during the inaugural JS-SEZ Joint Business and Investment Forum. The session was moderated by Mr Wong Meng Yew, Global Trade Advisory Leader at Deloitte SEA, and featured fellow panellists Dr Robert Yap, Executive Chairman of YCH Group; Mr Ahmad Adly Alias, Vice President of PETRONAS; and Ms Lim Pei Jet, Head of AirTrunk Malaysia.

Under the context of a volatile global trade environment, it is especially important that Malaysia act fast to build a stronger middle-class society with greater purchasing power that is able to absorb some the capacity originally meant for export to the U.S market.

I am proud of the United Local Synergy program, an initiative that brings together seven Malaysian companies in collaboration to enhance our local supply chain, drive innovation, and jointly build Malaysia’s international presence. I joined Chief Minister of Penang Sdr Chow Kon Yeow at the launch of United Local Synergy earlier today. Our aspiration is not to chase cutting-edge technologies. What we want to do is fortify Malaysia’s position as the indispensable middle. We can work with the European bloc, US bloc, and China bloc, where we provide excellent technology and create Malaysian technology. I applaud the seven companies – Greatech, Eng Teknologi, Swift Bridge Technologies, Berjayapak, Aurelius Technologies, Coraza Systems, and Prodelcon – for their visionary approach in strengthening the Malaysian semiconductor supply chain.

I am deeply honoured to be invited to address the Fifth Cohort of the National Resilience College. The NRC is designed to provide courses for a select group of senior officers of Brigadier General and Colonel in rank or equivalent with the aim of broadening their horizons, prompting them to think and act like statesmen. This is my fifth engagement with the College. I first addressed the Inaugural Cohort in September 2019 when I was Deputy Defence Minister. During one of the Covid-19 lockdowns, I was again invited to address the Second Cohort in January 2021, even when I was in the Opposition. I addressed the Fourth Cohort and an Executive Short Course in September and October 2023, respectively. This time I spoke on the topic of “Leading the Nation: Strategic Leadership as an element of National Power: Towards a greater and better Malaysia.”

Former Bogotá mayor Enrique Peñalosa, who later ran for president, once said, “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars, but where the rich also use public transport.” As a public transport enthusiast, I am glad to attend the launch of the IPO prospectus for HI Mobility Berhad, a key bus service provider in Johor Bahru that also has presence in the Klang Valley and Melaka. I commend their efforts in improving mobility for the masses. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Handal Indah, HI Mobility has been providing cross-border and intracity bus services since two decades ago. Their adoption of electric buses, including for cross-border routes, is aligned with the nation’s push for greener transportation solutions. I thank Mr Lim Chern Chuen, Executive Director and CEO of HI Mobility for the invitation and congratulations on this significant milestone. I hope to see a future where public transport is embraced by all segments of society as a safe, efficient, and convenient way of moving around.

In the short term, the world will face uncomfortably high uncertainties due to the evolving policy pronouncements by the Trump Administration. In the long run, Asian economies will have to think about creating demands through building a stronger middle class, and to trade more among each other. Malaysia will need to do more in leading developing countries in middle tech. These were some of the points I made during the discussion on The Economist Corporate Network’s Business Outlook Survey 2025. Dr Ong Kian Ming was the other panellist.

We need to move on from what I call the colonial mindset, which is heavy reliance on cheap labour by foreign investors. Typically, the focus is on maximising profits without any economic spillover or technology transfer to the locals. We need to push for more “Made by Malaysia” products and technology. Keynote Speech at the ASEAN Workshop on Sustainable Development.

I look forward to real estate developers playing a bigger role, including through Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia (REHDA) working with the government and other stakeholders to build a stronger economy and better future for Malaysians.

The waste trafficking from high-income to low- and middle-income economies persists as a significant phenomenon, despite existing control measures in both EU and Southeast Asian countries. As an effort to curb waste trafficking, Malaysia introduced the Guidelines for the Importation of Metal Scrap and Waste Paper in January 2022, to ensure that waste imports are free from hazardous materials and contamination. However, Malaysia can’t work alone. We need to engage and collaborate at the regional and international levels to tackle waste trafficking, especially at the source countries. This is why the seminar organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime today is important as a platform for further conversations.

This is my speech delivered at the ASEAN Economic Opinion Leaders Conference: Outlook for 2025. I have high hopes for ASEAN coming together as a supply chain, as a middle power, and as a middle class society.

I launched the MYSite Selection Portal and the Malaysia Industrial Park Directory jointly developed by MIDA and the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM). This initiative will be useful in promoting high-quality industrial parks and setting a benchmark for developing new ones.