Greetings for 2014!  In this first edition for the year, we feature Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste and the Kingdom of Morocco to encourage members to explore these two countries for business opportunities. 

The Kingdom of Morocco is strategically located in the north of the African continent, in close proximity to Spain and the European hinterland to the North and the vast African Continent to the South.  The Kingdom of Morocco offers potential for trade and investment prospects and opportunities for our goods and services.  Their Embassy in Kuala Lumpur will be pleased to meet and assist members on those matters.

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is located in South East Asia, in close proximity to Australia and Indonesia.  This young nation, gained independence in 2002 and has a population of 1.1 million. Timor-Leste is richly endowed with petroleum resources, and its economy is heavily dependent on this resource.  The Prime Minister, H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao, recently visited Malaysia and highlighted in a business forum in Kuala Lumpur that his country welcomes greater participation from Malaysian companies, especially in key sectors that include infrastructure, oil & gas, healthcare, mining, tourism and agriculture.

MASSA also works closely with the Embassy of Argentina in Kuala Lumpur.  Members would have received our email circulars highlighting a number of economic sectors in Argentina that have potential for collaboration.  We also encourage members to find out more about Latin America and Argentina in particular.

Showcase Bangladesh 2014 will be held in Kuala Lumpur later this year.  Plans are under way to stage an even bigger event than the previous shows.  Bangladesh has a population of 140 million and is brimming with domestic demands for a wide range of goods and services that Malaysia can offer.  MASSA Secretariat will keep members informed once the date of the showcase event is confirmed.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank members who have taken advertisements in our website.  We are confident that your corporate exposure on this South-South platform will be beneficial to your organisation and business.  We also want to encourage more members to come on board this advertising platform.

Fatimah Sulaiman
Editor