GLOBAL INVESTORS HAVE GREAT EXPECTATIONS FOR MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- Global investors have pinpointed Malaysia
as one of the top markets, according to a report published by UK Trade and
Investment and Economist Intelligence Unit.

In a statement here Wednesday, the British High Commission in Malaysia said
the report, 'Great Expectations: Doing Business in Emerging Markets', was based
on a survey of more than 520 global executives from every sector.

It said the respondents were doing business in emerging markets or planned
to do so in the next two years.

The report offers new insights from international investors about which
markets they see as being the global growth engines of the future.

UK Business Secretary, Vince Cable, launched the report in London Wednesday.


Director of trade and investment at the British High Commission here, Trevor
Lewis, said the British companies that already had a presence here would testify
that Malaysia was a good place in which to do business.

"We are hopeful the New Economic Model will attract even more British firms
to Malaysia, which is also a great base from which to grow business in this
dynamic region," he said.

Lewis said bilateral trade between Malaysia and the UK has bounced back in
the first half of this year.

"According to UK Customs and Revenue, Malaysian visible exports to the UK
from January to July 2010, were valued at £911 million (£1=RM4.78), an increase
of 11 per cent year-on-year.

"UK visible exports to Malaysia for the same period were valued at £603
million, an increase of 21 per cent," he said.

He said all things considered, bilateral trade between the UK and Malaysia
was healthy.

"We hope the positive findings from this survey will lead to even stronger
trade and investment links," he said.

The survey also showed that investors viewed emerging markets as sources of
new consumer demand and new business growth.

It showed that emerging markets beyond Brazil, Russia, India China
collectively offered an opportunity too big to ignore.
-- BERNAMA