MALAYSIA TO WOO JAPANESE SMEs INVOLVED IN HIGH-TECH SECTORS TO RELOCATE HERE

By Zainal Abdul Jalil

ALOR SETAR (Kedah, Malaysia), June 3 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will act to woo
the Japanese small and medium enterprises (SME) involved in high-technology
sector looking to relocate their operations overseas.

Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry, Mukhriz Mahathir,
said the SMEs were involved in the automotive, electronics and electric (E&E)
industries.

He said the investment climate in Malaysia was among the best and secured,
in addition to the government's investor-friendly policies and the country being
earthquake-free.

"We will work hard to attract them because Malaysia is the best choice for
the Japanese companies, including meeting their government's need to site the
data centre overseas after being hit by the tsunami in March," he told Bernama
after the close of the Kedah Economic Transformation Lab here Thursday.

The three-day lab, organised by the ministry, attracted over 100
entrepreneurs, academicians and economists.

It identified 28 initiatives which would be forwarded to the government to
help boost local economy.

Earlier, he urged Malaysian companies to think outside the box and be
creative to help the government boost the economy.

Mukhriz said wood-based and health products and gloves exports to Japan were
expected to increase.

He said Malaysia's economic growth was on track to grow after suffering a
decline during the economic crisis in 2009.

"In 2006, we recorded RM1 trillion in trade. In 2009, there was a slight
fall following the cancellation of orders from US and European firms.

"There are no problems now. Last year, the value increased to RM1.2 trillion
and we are now on the right track," he said.

Mukhriz said Malaysia-China trade was expected to increase because China was
the country's biggest trade partner.

He said Chinese demand for E&E products was high and Malaysian entrepreneurs
should identify the products for sales there.
-- BERNAMA