Over the last 14 years, we have witnessed the ups and downs of many countries internationally, and of course, that includes my own beloved country Malaysia. We are all still experiencing the sufferings of Covid-19, the public health issue which gave so many challenges to mankind, one of the toughest tests that God has given us. But thank God today, with the help and hard work of the staff of KSI, we are able to be here to seek knowledge, strategy, and information on how to overcome the challenges which lie ahead, 以銅為鏡可以正衣冠，以史為鏡可以知興哀 (History is the best teacher, and Internet today is the best recorder).
As usual, as the founder and patron of this summit, l shall try my best to share my humble opinion during my precious 10 minutes remark with the title “Best time to invest in Malaysia”.
Today, I would like to share with all distinguished guests, that the cooperation between East and West is very important to overcome many of the economic challenges we face today. Despite some confrontations between East and West that we have faced, in Malaysia, we believe that the cooperation between countries and different civilizations and the cultural exchanges can bring big benefits to business and economic collaborations, and we can build a better world. From clothing, food, and a lot of other things, there are many aspects that Eastern wisdom can contribute to the West, and Western technologies and infrastructures can complement Eastern countries.
It is my hope that one day we can have a Cheng Ho Statue in this corner of the world, that signifies the Eastern and Western friendship, that can complement the renowned Statue of Liberty.
Next, I would like to share the strength of Malaysia. When we do business, cross-country cultures become very important. I once heard a sharing that is still stuck in my mind until today. According to the sharing, a Briton went to India and saw Indians spitting at the roadside, and he thought it was very dirty. On the other hand, the British spitted into a handkerchief and put it back into the pocket, and the Indian thought that was dirty. So, cross-country culture becomes very important in doing business, and I strongly believe that in Malaysia, we are the melting pot of both ends of the world, as we are very lucky to be strategically located between the East and the West.
For example, Malaysia is part of the Commonwealth nations, with 2.4 billion in population. In doing business, three very important factors rule the success of every business venture. The first one is the language. Most of us Malaysians are multilingual, and countries around the world are looking up to our talents to assist in communication with other countries. Secondly, the Rule of Law. The common practice of laws and business regulations in the Commonwealth makes it very easy for businesses to adapt. Thirdly, the common set of standards. Just take a quick example, while Malaysia and the rest of the Commonwealth nations adopted the British standards of right-handed driver system, China and US are using left-handed driver system. If we think carefully, common standards are very important for all business ventures. If investors come to Malaysia, they can adapt quickly and without any hassle, and they can tap easily into other Commonwealth countries with a 2.4 billion population potential market size.
Then, of course, is our One Belt One Road (OBOR). Next year will mark the 10th year of the “One Belt One Road” initiative by President Xi Jin Ping, whereby Tan Sri Michael Yeoh and I are involved actively in promoting this initiative. I believe, with the OBOR initiative, it is also an important reason why GCET changed its name to incorporate the word “technology”. If businesses want to embrace technology, China is a role model and is very advanced in “A.B.C.D.E” (AI, Blockchain, Crypto, Data, and E-Commerce). All these are very important to the businesses of the future. But of course, we must not forget the technologies of the West as well. Together we can be stronger, and better. This is what I would like to highlight on the cross-country cultural exchanges.
Next, when we look at the word “Chinese”, I would like to take this opportunity to bring your attention to the word “Tiong Hua”. In fact, Tiong Hua is a philosophy, and even China’s full name has the world Tiong Hua inside, 中华人民共和国 (People’s Republic of China). The word Tiong (中) means moderation, and in Islam it means Wasatiyyah, or center path. As for the word Hua (华), I would like to share what I understand as the wisdom of this word. The character “Hua” is made of a few parts, with the top part signifying leaves, our environment and mother earth. The middle part represents our working class, and it also represents the hardworking population and our social responsibility. The bottom part, the word 十 (“ten”), represents the 10 virtues of Chinese culture. Going forward, especially after Covid-19, all businesses must pay great attention to the environment and mother earth, take good care of their social responsibilities, and also practice good business virtues.
So, why is it the best time to invest in Malaysia?
As you all are aware, Malaysia has just finished its 15th General Election, and now we finally have a 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐲 (𝐑𝐮𝐤𝐮𝐧 𝐍𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐚). Before the formation of this unity government, foreign investors were worried about our hung parliament. However, with the wisdom of our Rulers, who have adhered to the national philosophy (Rukun Negara), we finally have a unity government.
I would like to share with our foreign friends, that Malaysia is a very harmonious land because we are multiracial and multicultural. Everyone can have their own beliefs, as per Article 3 of our Federal Constitution: “Islam is the religion of the Federation, other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony”. Secondly, I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight that all politicians have to make the public oath to put the country first, and everything else comes second.
That’s why, I believe under the leadership of our new Prime Minister and the new Cabinet, it is time for all to not hesitate, and quickly come invest in Malaysia.
Read the full article here:
(Free Malaysia Today) https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/…/malaysia-touted-as…/
(10 times) https://10times.com/e145-rrxk-z3r6
(The Star) https://www.thestar.com.my/…/gcet-2022-fosters-east…
(Oriental Daily) https://www.orientaldaily.com.my/…/2022/12/07/532103
(Sin Chew) https://www.sinchew.com.my/?p=4320744
(See Hua Daily News) https://news.seehua.com/?p=908312
(DayDayNews.App) http://bit.ly/3XZaB0t
(Kwong Wah) https://www.kwongwah.com.my/?p=1287299
(China Press) https://www.chinapress.com.my/?p=3230767
(GuangMingDaily) https://guangming.com.my/?p=1522557
