Greetings from MASSA !

2023 was an eventful year. The economic trends favouring the Asia Pacific, especially ASEAN bodes well for Malaysia.

In this April newsletter, we feature the Republic of Djibouti, a republic with a population of just under 1 million located in a strategic position on the edge of the Red Sea where 60% of worldwide traffic passes through. Under Djibouti’s Vision 2035, Djibouti had conveyed its aspirations to become the Singapore of Africa, leveraging its strategic location, and ground access via international road corridors & railways to the greater East African region.

The Export-Import Bank of Malaysia Berhad (EXIM Bank) had shared their report on the Malaysia Global Connect: Malaysia-Djibouti Business Forum on 29 November 2023 where EXIM Bank, in collaboration with WAAFI Bank, the Djibouti National Investment Promotion Agency (NIPA), and supported by MATRADE led a delegation to Djibouti. This Forum brought Malaysian delegates to Djibouti with the aim to foster economic ties and strategic collaborations between the two countries. The Forum also saw closed-door dialogues with Djiboutian Ministers, networking & breakout sessions and insights into Djibouti as a gateway for the East African market with a population totalling 220 million.

This newsletter reports on MASSA’s various engagements that included meetings with the Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BMCCI) and a Courtesy Call on H.E. Md Shameem Ahsan, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia. The core theme of these meetings was on promoting business, trade and investment between Malaysia and the South-South developing countries.

MASSA is also focusing its efforts to feature discussions, innovations and insights on digital transformation and green transformation. Through our three-part collaboration with the Selangor Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC), two webinars had been organised on the themes of sustainable manufacturing and smart manufacturing. Do look out for our announcement & registrations for the 3^rd instalment of this collaboration soon.

MASSA led a visit to IJM IBS Sdn Bhd in Rawang, Selangor. This visit brought MASSA & its members and network to learn about Industrialised Building System (IBS) and robotic assisted manufacturing that combines the values of sustainable and smart manufacturing affording a flexible and low-waste manufacturing system.

We want to thank our members, ex-officio, contributors, and partners for your support to date. MASSA remains committed to present to members, trade and investment leads from the South-South countries.

To that end, several events including visits and seminars to keep an eye out for are in the works. Do look out from our weekly Circulars and postings in our website www.massa.net.my.

We look forward to meet members at MASSA’s upcoming events.

Thank you.

Ng Su Fun

Editorial MASSA