Welcoming Remarks By Amb Dato Dr Mohamad Rameez Yahaya, Ambassador of Malaysia to Chile during the Breakfast Seminar on Business Opportunities with Malaysia, 23 May 2016 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Santiago Chile.
A Very Good Morning and Buenos Dias. Also Bienvenido to the 10 Malaysian companies that are participating in this Trade Mission to Santiago, Chile. The ten companies are PitaBerry Sdn Bhd dealing with health drinks products and its representative Mr. Chong Chin Chang; Semi Daya Woods Industries dealing with house furniture under Mr. Alan Teo; Star Medik Sdn Bhd dealing among others with Compact Disposable Humidifier under Mr. Tajuddin Abdul Latif; Tamarind Furniture dealing with Rubberwood furniture under Mr. Teo Chin Yong, the Mazsoni Global Bhd dealing with building and construction materials under Mr. Masoni bin Pitri; IX Global Services Sdn Bhd dealing with hardware consultancy and system integration under Mr. Taufiq Hussein; VG Offshore Containers dealing with Oil and Gas among others under Ms. Anusia Ramasamy; VG Metal Technology dealing also with Oil and Gas Products under Mr. Aravendashan Ramasamy; Universiti Tun Abdul Razak dealing mostly with financial services with three (3) of its representatives attending; and lastly Lite Bulk Sdn Bhd dealing with Bulk Logistics under Mr. Cheah Tan Foong.
I also wish to acknowledge here Mr. Peter Hill, President of the Santiago Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Wan Latiff Wan Musa, the Senior Director of the Malaysian External Trade and Development Cooperation or MATRADE as well as Miss Ezzwani, the MATRADE Representative in Santiago, Chile. I am also grateful to the attendance of the ASEAN Ambassadors, Representatives from the newly created Chilean Malaysian Business Council and also other invited guests.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset, let me make mention in general about this seminar that we are having today. In fact it is the ripe time for such seminar to expose more about Malaysia and its products to Chile. I was indeed honor when the Honorable Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia came last week to Santiago, Chile. Although his visit was short and more of a transit before he left for Peru for the Economic Ministers Meeting of APEC, yet his noble intentions to ensure that this non-traditional market in Latin America is further explored in terms of trade and investment, is very commendable. The seminar is organized in conjunction with Malaysia in general and MATRADE specifically trade and investment missions in three countries in Latin America namely Peru, Mexico and Santiago, Chile.
For your kind information, MATRADE or the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation main priority or objective is to develop and promote Malaysia’s export to the world thus raising the profile of Malaysian exporters in foreign market. Thus, today’s activity undertaken by Matrade to promote the export of Malaysian goods and services in overseas market. Matrade office in overseas which are 40 thus far, including that in Santiago are normally acting in cooperation and collaboration with either the Embassy of Malaysia or the Consulate General of Malaysia, to assist foreign companies to source for suppliers of Malaysian products and services. It was created via the MATRADE Act of July 1992 and had since March 1993 beginning to operate as to assist the Government of Malaysia in promoting Malaysian products and services.
I wish to thank Mr. Peter Hill and his team from the Santiago Chamber of Commerce in assisting and supporting this fine and patriotic endeavor that would not only enhance further the trade between Malaysia and Chile to a greater height and figure, but most importantly to enhance people to people link as well as bilateral relations between both nations.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Apart from this breakfast seminar today, where you will listen to the presentation of Mr. Wan Latiff on trade and investment in Malaysia, there will also be one to one business meetings sessions organized between the Malaysian exporters participating in this mission and the Chilean buyers. One example is the meeting organized between Universiti Tun Razak with Larrainvial at 4 pm today. In fact, during the meeting that our Minister of International Trade of Malaysia had with the CEO of Larrainvial at my official residence on Sunday, 15th May 2016, this idea was mooted out and I am happy on this said matter cause with the niche that Malaysia has on Islamic banking, and the venture as well as cooperation that we could and should undertake with Larrainvial, the number one (1) financial investment broker and asset management advisors in Latin America, we can go further heights. Not to forget also other business meetings being organized today. Through this kind of programme, interested importers will be offered an ideal platform to see products from Malaysia, to explore new import opportunities and many more.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This seminar is in fact the last leg of the countries in South America that the Malaysia trade and investment roadshow is embarking on. They had earlier embarked on the trade mission in Peru and Mexico. As the Ambassador of Malaysia to Santiago, Chile it will always be my interest first and foremost to stress on Malaysia –Chile’s relations. Therefore it is my sincere hope that the reason why Chile was chosen last, does not mean anything, but to indicate truly and rightly as the saying goes “we save the best for the last’.
Even looking at the ratio of total trade between Malaysia and Chile as well as other two Latin America nations in term of population, Malaysia-Chile bilateral trade is the upmost importance. Chile with population of only half of Malaysia i.e. 17.8 million with total trade figure of RM1.61 billion or a ratio trade per capita of 91.96. What more for your kind information, Proton will be re-launch again in Santiago next Saturday, 28th May 2016 after the hiatus of more than 16 years (2000 was the last), and it is expected to generate sales of 1000 unit of cars with total value of RM68 million. This indicates that Malaysia and Chile relations not just in people to people but also trade is moving. The fact that Chile is the only country in Latin America achieving a developed status with GNP of more than USD20, 000 per capita, and what more the only country that signed the Free Trade Agreement, makes us more important to enhance trade link with this country which is being called as the nation at the ‘end of the world’ or the longest country in the world with as stretch of more than 4,000 km. With Chile also become part of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement which is expected to be in force in 2 years’ time, more product and services range can be tapped between Malaysia and Chile.
As the most stable nation in terms of political, economic freedom, transparency and competitiveness, Chile will remain as one of Malaysia’s top nation in Latin America for us to do business with. The fact that one of our Malaysian companies already invested in the fishing and canning industry in the South of Chile via the Safcol Group with total investment of more than USD5million, indicates that more will be done to further project Malaysia and Chile trade, investment link that will portray our good and excellent bilateral relations.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are also fortunate to have here with all of us the ASEAN Ambassadors in Chile comprising the Ambassador from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The end of year 2015 also saw the creation of the first ever ASEAN Community where all ASEAN members are unite together in achieving prosperity, progress, peace and stability in the region. By having more Chilean companies doing business in Malaysia, we would bring more opportunities also for Chile and ASEAN nations, the same as yours in the whole of Latin America. It could also help Chilean companies to make Malaysia as their hub to expand further trade and investment in other countries in ASEAN. Last week for example, I met with the owner of SUGAL, a company doing tomato paste and fruit paste in Chile and they will be going to Malaysia on 1 of June to seek for partners in Malaysia willing to buy their best tomato paste in the whole of Latin America. MATRADE is arranging such a meet and match session for them when two of their representatives coming to Malaysia in the first week of June. To reiterate what was said by the Malaysian Minister of Trade when he had his short working visit to Chile on 15 June 2016 that trade is not just about what Malaysia can export, but it is also about what Chile can export. Through that kind of mechanism than our total trade will flourish. WE are indeed happy also to inform that for the first time since ten years ago, our trade with Chile is in our favor. Bravo, but more need to be done to enhance further this trade relations. That’s also the reason why we should not think in silo and do work in silo. We should work together in enhancing further relations with Chile. The fact that I will be meeting with Mr. Horacio Barbello, CEO of Walmart in Chile also known as LIDER this week, indicates that we are all together in ensuring more trade between Malaysia and Chile will be promoted.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Malaysia is a stable and fast growing economy that will project itself as the high income developed nation by 2020. Our GDP growth is between 5 to 6 percent a year for us to project ourselves as a high income developed nation. Measures such as the Economic Transformation and the Government Transformation Programme being embarked by the current administration of Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak to ensure that Malaysia will be an exemplary and outstanding economic nation soon. Our companies and brand such as Proton, Petronas and MAS to name a few that project Malaysia very well in the world.
As the movie in Forest Gump, when Forest had conversation with his dying mama and it was clearly said ‘Life is like a box of chocolates’, you never know what you are going to get. Malaysia got the people, the language skills and network to do business with in the region. We have a good infrastructure, human capital, economic stability and efficient delivery system as well as innovative eco system for you to do business with Malaysia. Thus please try the Malaysian Chocolate! If you wish to get more information about Malaysia after this seminar today and tomorrow, please do come and visit the Embassy of Malaysia. Both the political and trade divisions are located in the same building of Edificio Malasia at Av Tajamar, Las Condes!
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have spoken too much already, and I can see everyone here is waiting when he is going to stop! But let’s bear in mind what was said by Thomas L. Friedman in his book ‘The Lexus and the Olive Tree’. For Friedman travelling in the four corners of the world i.e. Latin America, Asia, North America and the Middle East he had come up with the new world order system that of an international system based on cooperation and competition in the economic sense i.e. globalization. To reiterate Friedman ‘Globalization is not just a phenomenon and not just a passing tern. It is the new system that replaces the cold war system. It is the integration of capital, technology, and information across nations….. What we should understand that we should not work like what we did before in silos to achieve only our own ends. WE should instead be together, enhance further our trade relations that will not only be beneficial for Chile and Malaysia, but also to others in this globalized world.
Last but not least, we should all, especially a reminder to me and also to those Malaysian companies here in Chile ‘become like the strongest oak, since the strongest oak is not that one that is protected from storm and hidden from the sun, It is people like u that came to this seminar, those who wish to venture further into this globalized world, that stands in open where they are compelled to struggle for existences against the winds, rains and the scorching sun. Kudos to these companies!
Thank you
Mohamad Rameez Yahaya