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KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visits abroad are expected to attract RM184.73 billion in potential investments and exports of up to RM3.22 billion.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions and Sabah, Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said Anwar has visited nine countries since taking office, namely Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Turkiye, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, and China.
The main aim of these visits was to convince investors to inject capital into Malaysia's economy as well as to strengthen bilateral ties, especially in the cultural and tourism sectors, Armizan said in a parliamentary written reply dated yesterday.
He said Anwar’s Saudi visit from March 22 to 24 was successful in yielding memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between Malaysian and Saudi companies involving the production of semiconductor chips.
This, Armizan explained, resulted in the opening of a factory each in Negri Sembilan and Saudi with an expected investment of RM50 million.
Meanwhile, Anwar’s visit to Cambodia on March 27 at the invitation of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen saw the signing of two MoUs by the two countries’ respective human resource ministers.
The MoUs cover the intake, training, and return of migrant workers, including those in the domestic sector.
“The missions encouraged investments and trade,” said Armizan.
“These official visits were successful in attracting potential investments that are expected to be valued at RM184,73 billion and exports valued at RM3.22 billion,” Armizan said.
Armizan, who is also Papar MP, was replying via a written answer to Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man’s (Kubang Kerian-PN) question over the costs incurred by Anwar’s official visits abroad and the potential investments resulting from the visits. – The Vibes, May 23, 2023