Malaysian companies in the logistics sector going regional with a whole-of-government approach could create local champions in services, globally.
Deputy Investment Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong said that transport services continue to be a significant contributor to Malaysia’s trade deficit, reflecting reliance on foreign shipping and logistics providers to support Malaysia’s export-driven economy, which is a cause for concern and calls for more effort to transform the situation.
“We should build a Malaysian brand image of trustworthiness and friendliness for Malaysian global service providers to thrive in the export of services,” he said, suggesting that Malaysia should do more to make itself a hub for regional headquarters, tourism, higher education, research and development (R&D) activities, legal and arbitration services and finances, especially Islamic finance.
Liew added that emerging sectors such as digital trade as well as sustainable and green services are areas Malaysia can make a global difference.
“The linkage between services, manufacturing and technology should be firmly established,” he continued, highlighting that Malaysia is seeing an upsurge in manufacturing activities, partly due to supply chain relocation with manufacturing-related services being core to the development of a robust services sector.
“We must do more to link the two sectors together and more importantly, connect manufacturing and services with Malaysian technology,” Liew ended.
At the same time, Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd (Perodua) and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate on the development of next-generation electric vehicles (xEV), with plans to educate and train future engineers in developing new technologies related to xEV.
In a joint statement, Perodus president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the company looks forward to exploring a future where Malaysia can develop its own xEV technology.
“With this MOU, Perodua is taking a step further from our original mandate from being a vehicle for technological transfer to becoming an entity that drives technological development,” he explained.
Meanwhile, UTM deputy vice-chancellor (research and innovation) Prof Dr Rosli Md Illias empasised that the collaboration highlights the importance of bridging the gap between academia and industry, equipping graduates with the essential skills and knowledge.
The partnership will empower UTM students and researchers, serving as a model for academia-industry collaborations and ensuring Malaysia remains competitive in the global automotive sector while also establishing a satellite lab at UTM’s main campus in Skudai, Johor.
“Perodua and UTM will actively collaborate in the field of academia, R&D as well as talent development and training programmes for their respective employees,” said the statement.
