Oleh/By : DATO SERI DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : ALGIERS, ALGERIA
Tarikh/Date : 12/08/2003
Tajuk/Title : THE MALAYSIA - ALGERIA BUSINESS DIALOGUE
Versi : ENGLISH
Penyampai : PM
I am greatly honoured to have the opportunity
to address this distinguished business community of
Algeria.
2. We are here to explore and develop with the
Algerian business community ways and means for Malaysia
and Algeria to enhance bilateral economic and trade
relations.
3. As the exchange of visits can significantly
contribute to the achievement of this objective,
together with me today are Malaysian business leaders
and delegates who are keen to meet and discuss with
potential Algerian partners on a wide range of business
collaboration and opportunities. I hope Algerian
businessmen and members of the Malaysian business
delegation have taken full advantage of the individual
business meetings arranged during this visit.
4. In Malaysia, you have a partner that fully
appreciates the importance of developing international
business relations. Malaysia is also an economy that
has undergone several fundamental changes since its
independence in 1957. It is also a resilient economy,
having endured and rebounded from several downturns in
the past. It is now poised to face future challenges
brought about by the rapidity of globalization. This in
part, will be achieved through the development of
strong mutually beneficial relations with its partners.
Hence, our presence here.
5. Malaysia had achieved a strong economic growth
over the period 1988-1997 prior to the East Asian
financial crisis, averaging more than eight percent per
annum. While Malaysia experienced an economic
contraction in 1998 of 7.4 percent due to the impact of
the crisis, its economy has, however, recovered quickly
to register growth rates of 6.1 percent in 1999 and 8.3
percent in 2000. The global economic slowdown and
Sept. 11 in 2001 had again affected Malaysia's economic
growth and in that year Malaysia registered a real GDP
growth of only 0.4 percent.
6. With the improvement in the global economy in
2002, Malaysia was able to record a GDP growth of 3.5
percent. In tandem with anticipated improvement in the
global economy and as a result of various measures
recently initiated to further stimulate the economy,
Malaysia's GDP growth for 2003 is forecast at 4.5
percent.
7. Malaysia's economy is private-sector driven with
the Government contributing by putting in place the
necessary policies, infrastructure and legal framework
to provide a conducive and pro-business environment for
the private sector to operate. This is to ensure that
the private sector can continue to be the primary
engine of economic growth. Through the Malaysia-
Incorporated Policy which has been adopted more than a
decade ago, we are able to create a smart partnership
between the government and private sector to achieve
mutual benefit and help develop our country.
8. Over the years, the Malaysian economy has
transformed from being agriculture-based to a modern
industrial economy. Eighty-two percent of our export
of some 90 billion U.S. Dollars is now made up of
manufactured goods.
9. Industrialisation has taken Malaysia from import
substitution to export oriented, from labor intensive
to capital intensive and value-added industries and now
to knowledge-based industries. We believe the future
lies in the knowledge based economy where the key to
wealth and job creation are the extent to which
information, ideas, innovations and technology are
embedded in all sectors of the economy.
10. In line with efforts to develop a knowledge-based
economy, Malaysia is actively promoting the development
of the information and communication technology (ICT)
industry. Malaysia has also established the Multimedia
Super Corridor (MSC) for companies wishing to develop
creative IT and multimedia products and services.
11. The MSC is equipped with high-capacity global
telecommunication and logistics infrastructure built on
2.5 gigabytes to 10 gigabytes optical fibre. The
Government has put in place broadband infrastructure
and the necessary incentives, policies and cyberlaws to
serve investors in the MSC. To date, there are 905 MSC-
status companies with capital investments amounting to
3.6 billion U.S. Dollars.
12. Promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) remains
an important strategy for generating and sustaining
Malaysia's economic growth. Malaysia provides a cost
competitive environment for foreign investors. The
Malaysian Government continues to be business friendly
to both local and foreign investors. I believe Algeria
has also taken a similar path to attract FDI into its
manufacturing sector and reduce its reliance on
petroleum earnings. There is much that we can learn
from each other in this regard.
13. In Malaysia, the priority industries identified by
the Government include higher-end electronic products,
medical devices, engineering support industries,
automotive components, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals,
manufacturing related services such as research and
development, product design and development, marketing,
distribution and logistics, international procurement
and other support functions.
14. Malaysia continues to be competitive in the global
economy by further diversifying its economy into the
services sectors. In recent years, Malaysia has
successfully marketed services such as construction,
healthcare, education and tourism to many parts of the
world. Malaysian companies have developed skills and
expertise in the construction of infrastructure
facilities, housing, seaports and airports, roads and
railways, water treatment plants, power plants and
telecommunication. They have successfully implemented
construction projects in West Asia, East Asia, the
Indian Sub-continent as well as Africa. They are
especially active in the oil and gas industries.
15. Education is rapidly becoming a major contributor
to the economy of the country as Malaysia gains
recognition as a major centre for education in the
Asian region. Malaysia offers quality higher-education
at affordable fees. In addition to locally developed
programmes that are internationally recognized, a
number of Malaysian universities and colleges also
provide twinning programmes with American, Canadian,
British and Australian universities. In 2002, a total
of 36,452 foreign students studied in Malaysia and
28,015 or 76 percent of those students studied at
higher learning institutions of Malaysia. Only 44
students from Algeria enrolled to study in Malaysia in
2002. We welcome more Algerian students to pursue
higher education in Malaysia. The cost is a fraction
of that in Europe or America but the standards are
comparable.
16. While we search for new avenues of growth,
merchandise trade will continue to feature prominently
in Malaysia's economy. Malaysia is the eighteenth
largest trading nation in the world and conducts trade
with more than 230 countries and regions globally.
Malaysia's total trade in 2002 was valued at 173.2
billion U.S. Dollars with exports amounting 93.3
billion U.S. Dollars and imports 79.9 billion U.S.
Dollars.
17. We are one of the largest exporters of electrical
and electronic products in the world. Among the major
electrical and electronic products exported by Malaysia
are integrated circuits, automatic data processing
machines, parts and accessories for office machines,
telecommunication parts and equipment, electrical
switcher relays and circuits, audio and visual
recorders household appliances and radio and television
receivers. Exports of these products in 2002 amounted
to 52.1 billion U.S. Dollars, accounting for 55.9
percent of Malaysia's total global exports. Other
major products which Malaysia produces and exports
include chemicals and chemical products, machinery and
equipment, palm oil, crude petroleum, liquefied natural
gas, wood products and rubber products.
18. It is recognised that Algeria is the second
largest country in Africa after Sudan with a population
of 32.3 million, which is larger than the 24 million
population of Malaysia. Algeria is Malaysia's second
largest trading partner in Northern Africa, with trade
in 2002 amounting to 116.1 million U.S. Dollars.
Malaysia's exports to Algeria in 2002 was 113.6 million
U.S. Dollars and imports was 2.5 million U.S. Dollars,
a gross imbalance which needs to be addressed.
19. Major exports to Algeria were iron and steel
products; palm oil; chemicals and chemical products;
veneer, plywood and particle board; and textile yarn.
Main import items from Algeria were crude fertilizers;
fertilizers; and electrical distributing equipment. We
have to acknowledge that trade between our two
countries is still relatively small. I strongly believe
that this visit and the contacts between Algerian and
Malaysian businessmen can help increase trade between
us.
20. Malaysian products are competitively priced and
produced to meet the quality standards of international
markets. Products that could be sourced competitively
from Malaysia include household electrical appliances,
medical products, telecommunication equipment, wood and
rubber products and motor vehicles.
21. Malaysia is very keen to have a stronger presence
in the Northern African region. This is in line with
the effort to encourage Malaysian businesses to tap the
potential for trade among South countries which has not
been explored to the fullest.
22. I hope the Algerian business community would be
equally open to new areas of business collaborations
and, together with the Malaysian businessmen, explore
opportunities in the emerging markets. Businessmen of
both countries can also work together in accessing the
European Union and other African markets. Algeria
could be an important gateway to trade with the
European Union and with the rest of the African
continent. As Algerian companies enhance their long-
standing trade relations with the European Union
countries such as Italy, Spain and France, they can
collaborate with Malaysian companies in sourcing for
competitive quality products or enter into joint
ventures in manufacturing to serve the European Union
as well as other markets in the region.
23. Algerian companies that are planning to venture
abroad are welcome to explore business opportunities
available in Malaysia. Apart from reasons I have
already outlined, Malaysia can also serve as a gateway
for Algerian companies to access the ASEAN and East
Asian markets. Algerian businessmen and investors can
use Malaysia as a springboard to tap the ASEAN Free
Trade Area, a regional market with a population of more
than half a billion and a combined G.D.P. of 750
billion U.S. Dollars. Malaysia has a good track record
as a manufacturing and export base for both the
regional and global markets. Malaysia also serves as a
location for regional operation of many large
corporations.
24. October 2003 would be an opportune time for
Algerian businessmen to visit Malaysia. In conjunction
with the 10th Session of the Islamic Summit Conference
in October 2003 that will be held in Putrajaya,
Malaysia, several parallel events will be organised
that will bring together businesses from Islamic
countries. Among these is the Expo OIC 2003 on 14 to 19
October 2003 and the OIC Business Forum on 15 to 16
October 2003. Malaysia is pleased to welcome the
Algerian Government and its business community to the
Summit and the business related events as a way to
enhance trade and investment linkages among OIC member
countries.
25. Through participation in these events, it is hoped
that businessmen from OIC countries, including Algeria,
will not only just exchange views and experiences but
would also be able to realise actual business deals.
26. The Governments of both countries have laid down
the framework for closer economic cooperation between
us. Now it is up to the private sector to actively
create and capitalise on opportunities available in
order to assist both countries to enhance their
economic relations.
27. Finally, I would like to express my sincere
appreciation to the Government and the people of
Algeria and in particular the Algerian business
community for the very warm welcome and hospitality
extended to my delegation and I. I am confident that
this mission will result in a stronger friendship and
partnership between Malaysia and Algeria.
Sumber : Pejabat Perdana Menteri
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