KUALA LUMPUR – Former minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican has been appointed as the ninth chairman of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) effective immediately.
Reezal Merican has an extensive track record in government service, having served as the housing and local government minister (2021-2022), youth and sports minister (2020-2021), and deputy foreign minister (2015-2018). Additionally, he chaired Amanah Raya Bhd from 2013 to 2015.
“I am honoured to be given the opportunity to serve as the chairman of Matrade. With this role, combined with the investment, trade and industry minister’s leadership, we can better propel Malaysia’s trade and export performance to remain excellent and achieve stronger growth,” he said in a statement today.
Given his extensive experience in international affairs, diplomacy, government administration, and industry relations, he is well-positioned to lead and guide Malaysia’s national trade promotion agenda and facilitate export-oriented investments into the country, Matrade said.
The agency said his appointment as chairman would contribute to the growth and diversification of Malaysia’s exports in new and existing global markets.
Matrade is an agency under the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry and is mandated to execute trade promotion initiatives for the country. Established in 1993 after the enactment of the Matrade Act 1992, Matrade executes two core activities which are exporters’ development and export promotion.
Currently, it has six regional offices in Malaysia and 46 global offices ever-ready to assist Malaysian companies through exporters capacity building programmes, trade advisory and financial facilitation, business matching, market intelligence and market access, project negotiations and e-commerce. – Bernama, May 2, 2023
