Join us for our Malaysia Q2 Committee Call, where we will further discuss advocacy priorities and updates within the Malaysia Committee.

Dear Members, The Council is pleased to invite you to the 2024 Q1 Malaysia Committee Call. During the call, we will discuss the upcoming progams under the 2024 Workplan and share other updates relevant to Malaysia Committee. The agenda of the call is as follow: 1. Opening remarks 2. Updates on the Malaysia Committee 2024 Workplan 3. Discussion and Q&A. If you have any questions or comments ahead of the meeting, feel free to contact Mega Valentina at mega@usasean.org and Logan Carnicelli at lcarnicelli@usasean.org.

Join us for the next meeting of the Malaysia Committee, focusing on election results of the 2022 Malaysia General Election as well as planning and logistics for the 2023 Malaysia Business Mission on 7-9 February 2023. For questions or to register, please email Lauren Mai (lmai@usasean.org).

2023 Malaysia Business Mission

Washington, D.C.) – On April 18, 2024, the US-ASEAN Business Council (US-ABC) together with its members including ConocoPhillips, Amazon, Organon, Chubb and other US companies welcomed Malaysia Finance Minister II, H.E. Senator Amir Hamzah Azizan, and Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, at a luncheon during their first official visits to Washington, D.C. The event served as an opportunity for the Malaysian officials to brief American business executives on Malaysia’s economic outlook and the government’s economic policy priorities. ​ ​ 

2023 Malaysia Business Mission Planning Call #1 Open to all members registered to the 2022 Malaysia Business Mission Zoom details will be sent upon registering.

2023 Malaysia Business Mission Planning Call #2 Open to all members registered to the 2023 Malaysia Business Mission Zoom details will be sent upon registering.

US-ABC Roundtable with The Honorable Brian McFeeters, U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia A Hybrid Event at the US-ABC Washington DC Office

Special roundtable session with Dr. Helmy, special advisor to Malaysia Minister of Health.

BACKGROUND   The US-ASEAN Business Council (the Council) is pleased to continue the ongoing initiatives SME Workshop Series: Building Resiliency for ASEAN SMEs – as a part of the SME Program and ASEAN SME Academy (the Academy) – which aims to help ASEAN small and medium enterprises (SMEs) re-navigate themselves after the COVID-19 pandemic and advance in the digital economy. The upcoming workshop will be focusing on “Driving Inclusion for Malaysian SMEs in the Digital Economy,” – which will be conducted on Thursday, July 13, 2023, from 09.30 AM – 16.00 PM (TBC) in Kuala Lumpur.   In Malaysia, SMEs make up 97.2% of total business establishments and generate around 38% of GDP while providing employment for 7.3 million people. The majority of SMEs in Malaysia are coming from the services sector (85.5%), followed by construction (7.4%), manufacturing (51.1%), agriculture (1.7%), and others from the mining and quarrying sector (0.3%). Considering services sector is leading sector for SMEs, it is important for the SMEs to be able to keep up and match the needs of the current digital economy development in order to sustain their business.   Aligning with the National 4IR Policy and the Malaysia Digital Economy Blueprint (MDEB), the Council with its members are committed to supporting Malaysian SMEs and the government to accelerate Malaysia’s growth by driving digital transformation. It is also essential to ensure inclusive growth by including women's participation and raising awareness about sustainability in the economy. Through this workshop, the Council and its members aim to provide a platform for discussion with the Malaysian government and private sectors regarding SME development in Malaysia. We also would like to provide capacity-building sessions for SMEs to enhance their digital skills.   OBJECTIVES   The workshop aims to: Provide necessary digital skills or assistance to support Malaysian SMEs to participate actively in the digital economy and join the global value chain. Offer a platform to connect key stakeholders with Malaysian SMEs with the knowledge and skills to develop their business further. Promote and support the Malaysian Government policies and programs to enhance SMEs’ digitalization and support them to be more competitive regionally and globally.   WORKSHOP FORMAT   The workshop will host (i) keynote remarks, (ii) panel discussions, and (iii) 40-minutes training sessions from participating companies, and (iv) consultation/clinic sessions. Keynote Remarks: A 10-minute key insights sharing by the senior official. Panel Discussions: A session that features a multi-stakeholder from public and private sectors to discuss on building a supportive environment for Malaysian SMEs to increase their competitiveness in ASEAN and globally. 40-minute Individual Company Showcase: An individual session for US-ABC member sponsors which will share ways and strategies to help Malaysian SMEs thrive in post COVID-19 economy and drive inclusive digitalization. Consultation/Clinic Session: The consultation session will open before the event and during the break for prayer and lunch. The participants can utilize the clinic sessions to consult business and entrepreneurial challenges.     TARGET AUDIENCE   Around 100 business owners and senior executives around Kuala Lumpur and neighboring cities are expected to join the workshop. The expected participants will be from various industries, such as services, construction, manufacturing, tourism, and others. The organizers also aim to have at least 40% of the participants' women entrepreneurs. Outreach will be conducted in partnership with government and local trade associations.   STAKEHOLDERS   Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development Division) SME Corp. Malaysia (International Cooperation Division) Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (Digital Economy Division) Local associations: SME Association of Malaysia, National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, National Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Malaysia, and others     INVITED OFFICIALS   YBhg Dato Sri Suriani binti Dato Ahmad (TBC), Secretary General, Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development of Malaysia Ms. Marweena Manan (TBC), Director for Digital Economy Division, Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry of Malaysia Mr. Zaky Moh (TBC), Deputy CEO Implementation and Development Office, SME Corp. Malaysia Mr. Amrul Nazri Abdullah (TBC), Director for International Cooperation Division, SME Corp. Malaysia   KEY DATES June 26, deadline for sponsorship invitation July 5, deadline to provide workshop materials July 10 – 12, dry run meeting period (technical coordination) Please contact Emma Tabatabai (emma@usasean.org) and Salsabil Afifa (safifa@usasean.org) for sponsorship interest and further questions.