PM Anwar Urges Swift Action In Facing Fierce Regional Competition

KLANG, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia must act swiftly in navigating the intensifying regional competition to avoid being left behind, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In his keynote address at the Westports 2 groundbreaking ceremony here today, he emphasised the importance of implementing government policies to attract investments and trade.

“We cannot operate in isolation as we are facing a dynamic region and the competition is fierce. If we are slow, and if we think minor achievements are enough to be proud of, we will fall behind,” said Anwar.

He noted that investors place great importance on a nation’s capability in implementing its industrial and digital policies, along with transparency in executing investor-friendly policies

The Prime Minister said the government’s efforts to facilitate businesses, including fast-tracking approvals, improving efficiency, and eradicating corruption, have been acknowledged by foreign investors, such as Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc., which has committed to investing in the country.

He also urged agencies and corporations to adopt a similar approach to ensure Malaysia remains a preferred economic and industrial hub in the region, particularly in sectors like manufacturing and digital industries.

On the same note, Anwar commended Westports' strong performance and encouraged Malaysian ports to enhance their infrastructure and ecosystem to support the nation’s aspirations in boosting investments and trade.

He added that Westports’ capability as a global maritime and logistics hub is internationally recognised, and its position will be further strengthened with the expansion of new container terminals under Westports 2.

The second phase of the terminal expansion by Westports Holdings Bhd, covering terminals CT10 to CT17, will double Westports' container handling capacity to 28 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) from the current 14 million TEUs.

-- BERNAMA