TRADE BETWEEN NEW ZEALAND AND MALAYSIA EXPECTED TO SOAR NEXT YEAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak said the trade
figure between New Zealand and Malaysia will increase further next year
following the signing of their free trade agreement (FTA) Monday.

"This year of course the trade number is going down as expected, but we are
very confident that the figure will increase significantly next year," he said
after the Free Trade agreement signing ceremony between Malaysia and New Zealand
here.

Bilateral trade between the two countries increased by 46.2 percent to
US$1.9 billion last year from US$1.3 billion in 2007.

The FTA agreement was signed by the Minister of International Trade and
Industry Mustapa Mohamed for Malaysia, while New Zealand's Minister of Trade Tim
Groser signed on behalf of his country. The signing was witnessed by Najib and
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

Najib said the signing of the agreement signified a great political desire
to bring the long standing relationship between the two countries to a higher
level.

"I hope the private sectors from both sides will really look at the
advantage of the greater access. Not only Malaysian investors can tap into New
Zealand's market but New Zealand investors (can) look at Malaysia's market and
beyond like Asean."

He also urged New Zealand business community to consider Malaysia as a
spring board to tap into Asean huge market of about 580 million people.

The relationship in other areas such as tourism has been also very strong as
more than 50,000 New Zealanders visit Malaysia annually and the number is still
growing.

"It is not just about greater access to market and I think both sides can
really find greater opportunities.

"It is clear for us that the future is very bright for us, a future that
brings us closer together and for us to share greater prosperity, peace,
stability and promises of betters days," he said.
-- BERNAMA