THE Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz asserts Malaysia’s commitment to building a technology‑enabled, inclusive economy, placing small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) at the core of its agenda for regional and global competitiveness.
At the opening of the DHL GoTrade Summit 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, the Minister said his country is determined to strengthen its position as a trusted investment hub while ensuring that local enterprises are not left behind in the growth journey.
He emphasised the government’s support for SMEs through expanded guarantees and financing facilities, designed to help them innovate, digitalise, and compete internationally.
“Our future direction must be founded on technology, sustainability, and inclusivity,” he said at the summit, highlighting that digital transformation, artificial intelligence and automation are no longer optional but essential for competitiveness.
Focusing on Malaysia’s role during its ASEAN chairmanship year, Tengku Zafrul pointed to the region’s evolving trade architecture and called for resilience amid global supply‑chain disruptions and geopolitical shifts.
With ASEAN set to become one of the world’s largest economies, Malaysia intends to harness that momentum and extend the benefits to its SMEs.
By embedding policy reform under frameworks such as the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and the MADANI Economy Framework, Zafrul said Malaysia aims to raise the “ceiling and the floor” of the economy, enabling more local firms to move up the value chain and become regional players.
Tengku Zafrul described partnerships with private‑sector players like DHL as integral, noting the importance of exporting know‑how, logistics support and technological integration for growing firms.
He added that by reaffirming Malaysia’s commitment to translating broad regional ambitions into concrete results for SMEs, and thanked the summit’s organisers and participants for driving actionable outcomes. - October 21, 2025
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