STOP these atrocities. Stop the killings of women and children. Now!” A quote from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in San Francisco recently.
On November 11, 2023, the Prime Minister, along with the Malaysian delegation, attended the Eighth Extraordinary Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, they traveled to San Francisco, USA, to participate in the APEC Summit, addressing Malaysia’s international stance, geopolitical position, and collaboration with foreign nations in economic aspects.
I witnessed firsthand how the Prime Minister emphatically represented Malaysia, highlighting the suffering of the Palestinian people and the ongoing humanitarian crisis. In positioning Malaysia as a progressive nation, the Prime Minister chose not to take shortcuts by boycotting international meetings but instead utilized and maximized international platforms to openly express Malaysia’s stance, even in the presence of US President Joseph Biden.
Simultaneously, opportunities to meet with leaders of foreign nations were maximized to enhance strategic cooperation in economic, health, education, and technology sectors for the benefit of Malaysia and its people.
The success of the delegation, led by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), is evident, with notable achievements including:
- Meetings with technology giants such as Google, Microsoft, TikTok, and TPG resulted in commitments totaling RM54.72 billion over 10 to 15 years.
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) commitments amounted to RM8.3 billion from companies such as Abbot Laboratories, Mondelez International, Amsted Rail, Hematogenix, PerkinElmer, Ford Motor Company, Boeing, Amazon Web Services, and Lam Research.
- These investments will stimulate the development of sectors such as aerospace, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, EV battery technology, healthcare equipment, public services, and logistics.
- Export value from Malaysia reached RM2.78 billion, with companies like Canadian Tire Corporation, Global Agri Trade Corporation, and Unigen Corporation committing to enhance economic cooperation between the two entities.
Therefore, a progressive and strategic approach is crucial to ensure the stability of the country’s economy and position Malaysia as a vocal advocate on humanitarian issues globally.
In conclusion, these concerted efforts are expected to yield outstanding success for the country and exert pressure on major world powers not to remain silent on these crucial issues.
