PM Anwar Discusses High-Impact Strategic Partnerships With 40 French Captains Of Industry
KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today chaired a roundtable meeting with 40 captains of industry from France with operations in Malaysia to discuss strategic investment and partnership opportunities in high-impact sectors at the global level.
According to him, Malaysia offers a strategic position as a gateway into the ASEAN market, supported by political stability as well as investor-friendly policies and a dynamic industrial ecosystem.
“I emphasised that Malaysia is now a major hub in the clean energy, semiconductor, and electrical and electronic sectors, and continues to play an important role in the oil and gas industry.
“This potential has also been strengthened with the implementation of investment faciliation initiatives by government agencies,” he posted on his personal X account, @anwaribrahim, after the meeting that was held in Paris on Friday.
Anwar is leading a Malaysian delegation to the city in conjunction with a two-day official visit to France.
French companies that participated in the roundtable session included Air Liquide, L’Oréal, Axens, Schneider Electric and Thales which have been well established in Malaysia and continue to show their strong commitment.
Anwar said that at the same time, the government is also focusing on empowering small and medium enterprises so they can participate in the global supply chain and become strategic partners to foreign investors, including through technology transfer, training and talent development.
“I also encouraged French companies to explore Special Economic Zones and halal parks in Malaysia as well as to establish collaborations in renewable energy, CCUS (carbon capture, utilisation and storage), the digital economy, defence and aerospace in line with the country’s inclusive and sustainable economic reformation agenda,” he added.
France has remained one of Malaysia’s top five trading partners among European Union members.
In 2024, the bilateral trade between the two nations reached RM15.95 billion (US$3.63 billion), and for the January-May 2025 period, a total of RM6.26 billion (US$1.49 billion) was recorded.
-- BERNAMA