VICTORIA KEEN ON MALAYSIA AS SPRINGBOARD INTO REGION

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Australia's Victorian state government is
keen to make Malaysia as a springboard into Southeast Asia by leveraging on good
relationships as well as the country's highly skilled human resources.

Victorian Minister for Regional and Rural Development, Skills and Workforce
Participation, Jacinta Allan, said the opening of its Government Business Office
here today was timely to further strengthen relationships.

"Victoria and Malaysia share a common interest in advanced manufacturing
industries that emphasise on design, particularly automotive, medical devices,
precision instrumentation and aerospace," she told reporters at the launch.

"We particularly have good collaboration in tourism and education," she
said.

Kuala Lumpur marked the 12th office, adding to those in London, New York,
Chicago, San Francisco, Dubai, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Nanjing
and Bangalore.

Victorian government commissioner for Southeast Asia, Tim Dillon, said
Malaysia could also tap niche areas like the provision of halal products.

"Australia has a Muslim population of about 350,000 and Victorian food and
beverage producers are positioning themselves to cater for this market
domestically and internationally," he said.

In terms of food and beverages, the state contributed about 13 per cent of
the world's dairy products, offering potential for Malaysian companies to
explore.

Dillon said the new office would organise trade missions for Victorian
companies to come to Malaysia and look at trade opportunities in the country as
well as around the region.

Victoria, located in southeast Australia, occupies only three per cent of
the country land mass but makes up 25 per cent of the country's economy.

Malaysia is currently the state's ninth largest import source and ninth
largest export destination for merchandise goods.

In terms of foreign direct investment into Australia, Malaysian companies
invested about A$5 billion last year.

-- BERNAMA