Malaysia vows to boost trade ties with India

Malaysia vows to boost trade ties with India

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak has promised to boost bilateral trade relations with India.

The Dollar Business Bureau

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak has promised to boost trade relations with India and pay great heed to support the Indian community in the multi-ethnic country. 

“I believe in developing this country on an inclusive basis. I will pay great attention to helping the Indian diaspora,” Razak said at the inauguration of the first World Kongu Tamilar Conference in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday. 

Malaysia Kongu Tamilar Association, which represents country’s 80,000 Kongu Tamilar out of 200,000, organised the event. The ethnic Indians comprise 8% of the country’s population of 28 million. 

Najib said the continuous efforts of Malaysian government have helped safeguard and preserve the culture and language of Tamil community in the country. Malaysian students have the chance to learn Tamil language, starting from the level of pre-school to the tertiary level. 

He said his government has given nod to set up six additional Tamil primary schools, with 524 such schools already in Malaysia. 

“Tamil literature and Tamil language are taught at the secondary level. Malaysia’s Tamil radio and Minnal FM has round-the-clock broadcast in Tamil language, and there are around six dailies in Tamil," the PM noted.

Addressing the foreign delegates, the Malaysian Prime Minister reaffirmed his vow to further strengthen the bilateral trade between India and Malaysia. “I encourage all the guests to see Malaysia as an entry to the ASEAN,” he added. 

Since 1998, India has been the biggest export destination for Malaysia in South Asian region.

Najib further said he believes there are many opportunities for India and Malaysia to work collectively. The two nations have a close cultural affinity, which has helped trade, education and tourism to flourish between the countries, he stated.

Malaysia has generated thousands of jobs in its domestic manufacturing, with participation from India. 

The Dollar Business Bureau - Jul 25, 2016 12:00 IST