Event report

Oui, Malaysia is a Favourite Investment Destination for French firms!

CCI France Malaysia (CCIFM), gathered the Malaysian French business community on the 10 February 2020 at Cyberview Lodge Resort for a dialogue session with the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed.

Over 150 guests were welcomed by Dato’ Zainal Amanshah, Chairman of CCIFM and Mr. Gilles Waeldin, President of CCIFM, in the presence of H.E. Frederic Laplanche, French Ambassador in Malaysia.

Today, Malaysia is ranked 12th in the World Bank 2020 ease of doing business report, recording an improvement from its 15th position in the previous year. Moving forward, Malaysia will continue to embrace the 5Cs of doing business - clarity, consistency, certainty, confidence and continuity. The Malaysian GDP is forecast to grow at 4.5% this year despite challenging times and with good fiscal discipline, its budget deficit will narrow to 3.2% this year.

Talent management is a very important subject for the Malaysian Government and the development of education is a priority to ensure right Malaysian talent needed for the 21st century or the digital age are made. In line with this Malaysia will continue to welcome expats and foreign talent into the county and remain very generous with the various employment and resident passes for high skilled and specialised foreign talent.

Malaysia has always focussed on quality infrastructures, more is coming with the upgrade works and potential new projects in Klang Valley, Penang, Johor and other parts of the country and there will certainly be more opportunities for French companies in the field.

Malaysia’s manufacturing sector is also all geared up to fully embrace the Industry 4.0 objectives following the launch of its national policy or Industry Forward blueprint.

Tun mentioned that the country is very much open for business and want more high-quality investments and jobs. The Malaysian government through its various agencies involved in foreign investment promotion such as MIDA, Invest KL and MDEC has established the necessary organs and facilities for the smooth running of foreign investments in Malaysia.

There are about 500 French companies in Malaysia, comprising over 300 subsidiaries of French companies and some 150 French entrepreneurs whom have chosen Malaysia as their principal place for business, employing nearly 30,000 people with a total turnover of 20 billion Ringgit Malaysia.

Their contributions to Malaysia are not only on the capital investment side but more importantly on the expertise and know-how transfer to the Malaysian local industry thanks to the business-friendly environment that Malaysia has to offer to both the French and international investors. CCI France Malaysia strongly believes that Malaysia has remained a favourable and competitive place, acting as a regional hub for French companies to develop their regional business development in Asia Pacific.

The world is changing and a new order is emerging in which Malaysia and France have a lot to gain by working together.

Relive the event by browsing through the photos.