Between 19 and 24 May, I led an official mission to Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. As I walked out from the Brasilia airport, the signage said “the time has come for Brazil.” Indeed, the global limelight is on Brazil as it hosts G20 in…
Thank you Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) for inviting me to address the National Investment Seminar with the theme “Re-energising Domestic Investment”. To re-energise, we will have to re-imagine. This seminar is very timely as firms and companies grapple…
A new world order is emerging as the old one is crumbling. Understanding the context of the new world order, which comes with a new set of considerations, imperatives and assumptions would help us to move Johor forward more steadily. The modern Johor Sultanate is…
Last month, I led a 40-person delegation, which included important Southeast Asian regional economists and senior government and GLICs (government-linked investment corporations) officials, to visit semiconductor firms in Penang and Kulim, Kedah to enhance the understanding of this globally relevant cluster. On the factory floor…
Getting Malaysians and Chinese to understand each other’s economy is crucial for Malaysia’s future. It is important for Malaysians to understand contemporary China while China’s policy makers and business community have a clear idea about Malaysia’s unique role. The size of the Chinese economy is…
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relationship, it is worthwhile to remind Malaysians the role Malaysia played in resetting the regional, if not global, scene, in the 1970s. And, the next mission of the Malaysia-China relationship is to make Southeast Asia,…
May I thank Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim, JCorp CEO, for his kind invitation for me to say a few words at the Johor Conversation 2024. The theme for today’s conversation is “Pursuing growth through infrastructure, innovation, technology, and sustainability.” I am impressed with the…
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the world’s largest trade agreement. The agreement includes ASEAN states and China, Japan, as well as Korea. It took years for nations to negotiate and there were high hopes that the agreement would spur Asian and ASEAN trade. However,…
I thank Datuk Tan Yew Sing, the relentless bridge builder, for inviting me to launch his book “Trail of Lights, Journey of Tan Yew Sing” as well as to say a few words at this “Way forward for private higher education institutions” forum. The book…
Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and the world need a new trade agenda. It cannot be the regurgitation of old clichés but rather a fresh approach. The new agenda has to steer nations away from racing to the bottom but to push forward for the race to…