While speaking at a SME Day keynote address in Berlin yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim extended an open invitation for German and European firms to come and invest in Malaysia.
In his impassioned invite, he stated that Malaysia is home to a skilled labor force, equipped with modern infrastructure, clear regulations, and possesses huge growth potential, making Malaysia the perfect partner.
Anwar also added that Malaysia will make the perfect strategic gateway for any moves into the wider ASEAN market, which is predicted to be the world’s fifth largest economy by 2030.
According to a report from Bernama, the keynote address was held at the Berlin station, and was organised by the German Association for Small and Medium Sized Businesses (BVMW). The event saw about 5000 SMEs in attendance, along with prominent government figures.
Anwar is currently on the third day of his six day official visit to Germany, who is also the third largest economy in the World.
German-Malaysian historic relations
Germany and Malaysia has always enjoyed cordial business relationships, as Germany has been Malaysia’s top trading partner within the European Union for the past 10 years.
In fact, Malaysia also holds the distinction of being a very important trading partner to Germany, as Malaysia is Germany’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia.
Bilateral trade between the two countries have also shown solid growth, with it growing at an annual average of 5.2 percent. For this reason, Malaysia continues to be an attractive destination fo foreign investments.
Malaysia as a gateway to the halal ecosystem
The Bernama report also stated that during his meetings with German businesses and investors, the PM also touted Malaysia’s capabilities to act as a gateway to the Halal ecosystem.
This should be a very attractive boon to German investors, as they have been looking to penetrate the Halal markets.
Malaysia, as a leader in the multibillion dollar industry that is the Halal ecosystem, will certainly make for a very attractive partner, as Malaysia can leverage their expertise, infrastructure, and a robust and stringent halal regulatory framework.
Anwar also noted that there are more than 700 German companies operating in Malaysia currently, which includes giants like Siemens, Infenion and Volkswagen.
