Greetings from MASSA !

2020 had given us a tumultuous start to the decade. As 2020 comes to a close we see that the Covid-19 pandemic remains a disruptive force for every market including Malaysia. However, along with this disruption we see a myriad of opportunities that may be beneficial to enterprising businesses as well.

MASSA hopes to bring to members attention, events and programmes that can be informative and useful to help you and your businesses take advantage of the initiatives and opportunities that come available. 

In this newsletter, we report on two webinars organised by MITI & MATRADE. They were (1) “Malaysia & Argentina: Strengthening Bilateral Trade & Investment in the New Normal” and (2) “Reconnect: Hong Kong-Malaysia Partnership” jointly organised by the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Malaysia. We have distilled some key takeaways which may be helpful to catalyse your business interests abroad.

Our appreciation is extended to EXIM Bank for their insightful article on “Building a Better Economy through Greater Trade Relations”. We also thank MIDA for their article on the Malaysia Lighthouse Program, which is an innovative initiative that incentivises digitalisation for manufacturers. In lieu of the successful and momentous APEC Malaysia 2020, which culminated in the signing of the Putrajaya Vision 2040, we have an article to inform our membership on APEC, and the opportunities and benefits for investment, partnership and business that come with it.

We can look forward to 2021 with RCEP progressively taking effect and, the fruits of APEC 2020 coming onstream, especially Putrajaya Vision 2040 influencing the outlook for the coming years. Furthermore, on the calendar of 2021 is EXPO 2020 Dubai, which will be hosted at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, UAE from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. The EXPO will host the world for 6 months, including Malaysia at the Malaysia Pavilion.

An event in the near horizon is MASSA postponed webinar on “Business Opportunities in the Republic of Guinea”. We are pleased to inform our members that steps have been taken to arrange for this webinar to be held in Q1 2021, so stay tuned for further news to come!

Finally, as we close 2020, we want to thank our members, contributors, and collaborators for their continued support throughout this year. MASSA remains committed to present to members, trade and investment leads from the South-South countries, especially in light of the pandemic ushering an increased need for collaborative efforts at all levels and on the digital platform. To that end, several events to keep an eye out for are in the works. We look forward to your participation in these pro-business, digital-forward events in the coming year.

We wish all members and readers, a happy new year 2021, stay safe and keep well in these Covid-19 days.

Thank you.

 
Ng Su Fun
Editorial MASSA