KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim revealed that Germany has designated Malaysia as its export and trade hub, diversifying away from its reliance on China. This decision aligns with Germany’s derisk policy aimed at reducing dependence on any single country, such as China, amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions. Anwar highlighted a surge in visits from foreign trade ministers to Malaysia, with a focus on expediting Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the European Union (EU).
He emphasized Malaysia’s appeal to investors, citing increased interest from Arab states like Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar, particularly in areas like investment and technology. Anwar stressed the need for Malaysia to enhance its workforce’s skills in mathematics, science, technical education, and artificial intelligence (AI) to accommodate the influx of investments. He underscored Malaysia’s political stability and clear economic policies as factors contributing to its attractiveness to investors. Anwar acknowledged a slight impact from the US-China trade war on Malaysia and emphasized the importance of seizing opportunities amid geopolitical shifts.
