MWB Volume 330

Intra-Asean trade which has been on an increasing trend over the years is expected to surpass the global average by 2% to 3% this year, said Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

“Over the years we have seen a gradual increase in intra-Asean trade and investment. We had started with about 10% intra-Asean trade 20 years ago, and now it is about 24% to 25%, which is a big jump in terms of intra-Asean trade,” he told reporters after officiating the Asean Business Forum 2015 yesterday.

“This year, we are forecasting 2% to 3% growth in trade. We believe the fast-paced growth of Asean economies relative to others in the world, and trade growth in ASEAN is going to be higher than the global average,” he added, noting that the average global trade grew by 5.9% last year. In 2013, intra-Asean trade amounted to US$608.6 billion, accounting for 24.2% of total trade of the region, compared with US$458.1 billion in 2008, when the Asean Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint was first implemented.

Commenting on intra-Asean investment, he expects the market share of the global foreign direct investment (FDI) flow to gradually increase between 11% to 12%, from its current 10%.The total FDI inflows to Asean amounted to US$122.4 billion in 2013, representing the highest FDI flows into a region, globally, in which US$21.32 billion came from investments within Asean members.

Mustapa said he expects to see more investments coming from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines this year, due to the country’s continuous economic stability and improvement in business landscape. Last year, the top-three Asean markets for Malaysia were Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, with each recording 51%, 19% and 15% of the country’s total export share.The Asean market accounted for 26.8% of Malaysia’s total trade last year, valued at RM389.03 billion with an increase of 3.9% from 2013.

“We see this phenomenon growing in the next few years, more intra-Asean trade and more intra-Asean investments coming in,” he said, noting the Asean Business Forum is part of the government’s initiative to build awareness on the opportunities within Asean.

The Forum which aims to give participants an insight into Asean’s market needs and prospects, was attended by over 1,000 participants from all over the country.

Source : MITI, 13 March 2015

Intra-Asean Trade Booming

MITI Weekly Bulletin / www.miti.gov.my 01

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MALAYSIA

Monthly Manufacturing, Jan 2014 - Jan 2015

2,600

2,650

2,700

2,750

2,800

2,850

2,900

2,950

3,000

3,050

3,100

51,000

52,000

53,000

54,000

55,000

56,000

57,000

58,000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan

2014 2015

RM m

illio

n

RM m

illio

n

Sales Value Salaries and Wages Paid

1,029

1,034

2,781

2,886.3

2,550

2,600

2,650

2,700

2,750

2,800

2,850

2,900

2,950

3,000

1,015

1,020

1,025

1,030

1,035

1,040


2014 2015

RM('000

)

No of Employees Average Salary per Employee

Selected Key Indicators, 2014 & 20152014

(preliminary)2015

(forecast)Labour force (million persons) 14.0 14.4Employment (million persons) 13.6 14.0Unemployment (as % of labour force) 2.9 3.0Per Capita Income (RM) 34,123 35,572Real GDP (Growth %) 6.0 4.5 ~ 5.5Real GNI (Growth %) 6.0 5.2Trade Balance (Goods) 125.1 94.2Trade Balance (Services) -20.5 -16.4CPI (Consumer Price Index) 3.2 2.0 ~ 3.0

Source : Department of Statistics, Malaysia & Bank Negara Malaysia

Source : Department of Statistics, Malaysia


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Industrial Production Index, Jan 2014 - Jan 2015

Export & Import Price Index, Jan 2014 - Jan 2015

119.5

110.5

123.5

118.8

80

90

100

110

120

130


2014 2015

IPI Mining Manufacturing Electricity

109.0

109.8110.0

109.2 109.3

108.8108.4

107.6

106.8106.6 106.5

105.5 105.4

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111


2014 2015

Export Price Index

106.7

107.0

107.1

106.7

106.9

107.0

106.9

107.0

106.9

107.0

107.1

106.9

106.5

106.2

106.3

106.4

106.5

106.6

106.7

106.8

106.9

107.0

107.1

107.2


2014 2015

Import Price Index

Sales Value and Growth for Selected Manufacturing Industries, Jan 2014 and Jan 2015

Sales Value (RM million) Increase

Jan-14 Jan-15 RM million %

Manufacture of electrical capacitors and resistors 2,236.3 3,189.3 953.0 42.6

Manufacture of consumer electronics 2,295.4 2,624.7 329.3 14.3

Manufacture of plastics in primary forms 1,283.0 1,600.4 317.4 24.7

Manufacture of passenger cars 2,103.0 2,405.9 302.9 14.4Source : Department of Statistics, Malaysia




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DiD You Know?Malaysia’s Trade in Wood, Jan 2014 - Jan 2015

Top Five Wood Export Destinations from Malaysia, 2014

Malaysia’s Wood Production 2013

2,147

2,473

2,2612,142 2,066 2,029

2,142

1,952

1,6911,865

2,075

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

RM m

illio

n

Exports

117

101

137

80

110

43

54

85

59

47

68

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

RM m

illio

n

Imports

1,275.2

232.4 211.7 160.594.4

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

India Taiwan China Japan Viet Nam

RM m

illio

n

4.08

2.50

0.380.08

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Logs Sawn Timber Plywood Mouldings

mill

ion

cubi

c m

etre

(m3 )

Source : Department of Statistics, Malaysia HS Code : 4403 (Wood, in the rough)

HS Code : 4403 (Wood, in the rough)Source : Department of Statistics, Malaysia

Source : Jabatan Perhutanan Semenanjung Malaysia (Forestry)


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‘ASEAN and You’“D

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1. Together, ASEAN’s ten member states form an economic powerhouse.

If ASEAN were a single country, it would already be the seventh-largest economy in the world, with a combined GDP of $2.4 trillion in 2013 . It is projected to rank as the fourth largest economy by 2050.

Labour-force expansion and productivity improvements drive GDP growth—and ASEAN is making impressive strides in both areas. Home to more than 600 million people, it has a larger population than the European Union or North America. ASEAN has the third-largest labour force in the world, behind China and India; its youthful population is producing a demographic dividend. Perhaps most important, almost 60 per cent of total growth since 1990 has come from productivity gains, as sectors such as manufacturing, retail, telecommunications, and transportation grow more efficient.

2. ASEAN is not a monolithic market.

ASEAN is a diverse group. Indonesia represents almost 40 per cent of the region’s economic output and is a member of the G20, while Myanmar, emerging from decades of isolation, is still a frontier market working to build its institutions. Although ASEAN is becoming more integrated, investors should be aware of local preferences and cultural sensitivities; they cannot rely on a one-size-fits-all strategy across such widely varying markets.

3. Macroeconomic stability has provided a platform for growth.

Memories of the 1997 Asian financial crisis linger, leading many outsiders to expect that volatility comes with the territory. But the region proved to be remarkably resilient in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis, and today it is in a much stronger fiscal position: government debt is under 50 per cent of GDP—far lower than the 90 per cent share in the United Kingdom or 105 per cent in the United States.

4. ASEAN is a growing hub of consumer demand.

ASEAN has dramatically outpaced the rest of the world on growth in GDP per capita since the late 1970s. Income growth has remained strong since 2000, with average annual real gains of more than 5 per cent.

Already some 67 million households in ASEAN states are part of the “consuming class,” with incomes exceeding the level at which they can begin to make significant discretionary purchases. That number could almost double to 125 million households by 2025, making ASEAN a pivotal consumer market of the future.

5. ASEAN is well positioned in global trade flows.

ASEAN is the fourth-largest exporting region in the world, trailing only the European Union, North America, and China/Hong Kong. It accounts for 7 per cent of global exports—and as its member states have developed more sophisticated manufacturing capabilities, their exports have diversified.

Understanding ASEAN : 7 Things You Need to Know

MITI’s ASEAN Portal can be accessed via http://www.miti.gov.my/

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The region sits at the crossroads of many global flows. Singapore is currently the fourth-highest-ranked country in the McKinsey Global Institute’s Connectedness Index, which tracks inflows and outflows of goods, services, finance, and people, as well as the underlying flows of data and communication that enable all types of cross border exchanges. Malaysia (18th) and Thailand (36th) also rank among the top 50 most connected countries. ASEAN is well positioned to benefit from growth in all these global flows.

6. Intraregional trade could significantly deepen with implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community, but there are hurdles.

Some 25 per cent of the region’s exports of goods go to other ASEAN partners, a share that has remained roughly constant since 2003.

Intraregional trade in goods—along with other types of cross-border flows—is likely to increase with implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community integration plan, which aims to allow the freer movement of goods, services, skilled labour, and capital. Progress has been uneven, however. While tariffs on goods are now close to zero in many sectors among the original six member states (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand), progress on liberalization of services and investment has been slower, and nontariff barriers remain a stumbling block to freer trade.

While deeper integration among its member states remains a work in progress, ASEAN has forged free-trade agreements elsewhere with partners that include Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. It is also party to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade negotiations that would form a mega trading bloc comprising more than three billion people, a combined GDP of about $21 trillion, and some 30 per cent of world trade.

7. ASEAN is home to many globally competitive companies.

In 2006, ASEAN was home to the headquarters of 49 companies in the Forbes Global 2000. By 2013, that number had risen to 74. ASEAN includes 227 of the world’s companies with more than $1 billion in revenues, or 3 per cent of the world’s total .Singapore is a standout, ranking fifth in the world for corporate-headquarters density and first for foreign subsidiaries.

Consistent with this growth, foreign direct investment in ASEAN has boomed, surpassing its precrisis levels. In fact, the ASEAN-5 (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) attracted more foreign direct investment than China ($128 billion versus $117 billion) in 2013. In addition to attracting multinationals, ASEAN has become a launching pad for new companies; the region now accounts for 38 per cent of Asia’s market for initial public offerings.

Despite their distinct cultures, histories, and languages, the ten member states of ASEAN share a focus on jobs and prosperity. Household purchasing power is rising, transforming the region into the next frontier of consumer growth. Maintaining the current trajectory will require enormous investment in infrastructure and human-capital development—a challenge for any emerging region but a necessary step toward ASEAN’s goal of becoming globally competitive in a wide range of industries. The ASEAN Economic Community offers an opportunity to create a seamless regional market and production base. If its implementation is successful, ASEAN could prove to be a case in which the whole actually does exceed the sum of its parts.

Understanding ASEAN : 7 Things You Need to Know (cont’d)

Source : McKinsey & Co

International Repor t“D

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Macau Economic IndicatorsGDP

Q3 2014-2.1%

Unemployment RateJan 2015 1.70%Inflation Rate

Jan 20154.8%

GDP per capita 2013uSD 54.1 k

Consumer Price IndexJan 2015103.4

Exports, 85.6

Imports, 91.2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

RM m

illio

n

Malaysia’s Trade with Macau, 2004 - 2014


Source : www.tradingeconomics.com

2.45

2.50

2.55

2.60

2.65

2.70

3.80

3.90

4.00

4.10

4.20

4.30

4.40

4.50

4.60

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb

2014 2015

1 EUR = RM 1 SGD = RM1 SGD = RM 2.65

1 EUR = RM 4.08

Source : http://www.gold.org/investments/statistics/gold_price_chart/

Source : http://www.hardassetsalliance.com/charts/silver-price/usd/oz

Malaysian Ringgit Exchange Rate with Euro and Singapore Dollar

Gold Prices, 26 December 2014 - 13 March 2015

Silver Prices, 26 December 2014 - 13 March 2015

Source : Bank Negara, Malaysia

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37.8

37.0 36.0

37.0

38.0

39.0

40.0

41.0

42.0

43.0

26 D

ec

2 Ja

n

9 Ja

n

16 Ja

n

23 Ja

n

30 Ja

n

6 Fe

b

13 F

eb

20 F

eb

27 F

eb

6 M

ar

13 M

ar

US$/Gram Gold

16.1

15.6

14.5

15.0

15.5

16.0

16.5

17.0

17.5

18.0

18.5

26 D

ec

2 Ja

n

9 Ja

n

16 Ja

n

23 Ja

n

30 Ja

n

6 Fe

b

13 F

eb

20 F

eb

27 F

eb

6 M

ar

13 M

ar

US$/Oz Silver

Source: Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia

Notes: The preference giving countries under the GSP scheme are Japan, Switzerland, the Russian Federation, Norway and Cambodia.

AJCEP: ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (Implemented since 1 February 2009) ACFTA: ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (Implemented since 1 July 2003) AKFTA: ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement (Implemented since 1 July 2006)

AANZFTA: ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement(Implemented since 1 January 2010)

AIFTA: ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (Implemented since 1 January 2010)

ATIGA: ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (Implemented since 1 May 2010)

MICECA: Malaysia-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Implemented since 1 July 2011)

MNZFTA: Malaysia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (Implemented since 1 August 2010)MCFTA: Malaysia-Chile Free Trade Agreement (Implemented since 25 February 2012)MAFTA: Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (Implemented since 1 January 2013)

MPCEPA: Malaysia-Pakistan Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (Implemented since 1 January 2008)

MJEPA: Malaysia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (Implemented since 13 July 2006)

18 Jan 25 Jan 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Feb 1 Mar 8 MarAANZFTA 76 86 90 87 92 74 89 73AIFTA 132 139 143 120 240 122 126 136AJCEP 75 75 75 104 116 72 55 78

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

RM

mill

ion

18 Jan 25 Jan 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Feb 1 Mar 8 MarATIGA 4,904 546 773 631 11,127 9,861 4,055 596ACFTA 303 464 562 505 533 165 865 780AKFTA 166 184 327 1,064 487 592 1,795 117

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

RM

mill

ion

18 Jan 25 Jan 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Feb 1 Mar 8 MarMICECA 39.93 65.37 43.02 58.35 47.23 40.80 132.78 49.74MNZFTA 0.09 0.08 0.52 0.25 0.08 0.02 0.13 0.01MCFTA 24.98 9.42 14.72 7.43 8.30 5.61 9.29 6.00MAFTA 96.36 42.20 40.95 27.65 51.15 25.27 36.27 23.40

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

RM

mill

ion

18 Jan 2015 25 Jan 2015 1 Feb 2015 8 Feb 2015 15 Feb 2015 22 Feb 2015 1 Mar 2015 8 Mar 2015

AANZFTA 809 963 883 663 1,001 467 835 658AIFTA 584 531 558 559 521 485 467 561AJCEP 185 170 243 241 254 116 172 154ATIGA 4,297 3,775 4,693 4,081 4,287 2,648 3,695 4,107ACFTA 1,429 1,150 1,232 793 920 790 1,659 1,454AKFTA 629 767 760 665 823 610 643 765MICECA 266 302 311 307 344 236 278 297MNZFTA 3 6 13 7 6 2 5 1MCFTA 74 39 62 56 53 27 56 42MAFTA 376 417 450 341 481 206 360 259MJEPA 835 874 972 817 847 608 775 823MPCEPA 160 160 158 153 130 139 150 173GSP 112 163 196 104 152 73 170 104

18 Jan 25 Jan 1 Feb 8 Feb 15 Feb 22 Feb 1 Mar 8 MarMJEPA 152 355 157 123 133 116 145 131MPCEPA 75 20 18 41 17 72 19 52GSP 17 28 24 414 43 14 22 75

50

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

RM

mill

ion

Value of Preferential Certificates of Origin

Number and Value of Preferential Certificates of Origin (PCOs)Number of Certificates

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MITI Weekly Bulletin / www.miti.gov.my09

CommodityCrude

Petroleum (per bbl)

Crude Palm Oil (per MT)

Raw Sugar

(per MT)

Rubber SMR 20(per MT)

Cocoa SMC 2

(per MT)

Coal(per MT)

Scrap Iron HMS

(per MT)13 Mar 2015

(US$) 44.8 673.5 291.0 1,412.5 2107.8 58.4 270 (high)250 (low)

% change* 9.6 2.7 5.6 unchanged 0.1 1.2 3.84.2

2014i 54.6 - 107.6 823.3 352.3 1,718.3 2,615.8 59.8 370.0

2013i 88.1 - 108.6 805.5 361.6 2,390.8 1,933.1 .. 485.6

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Commodity Prices

Notes: All figures have been rounded to the nearest decimal point * Refer to % change from the previous week’s price i Average price in the year except otherwise indicated n.a Not availble

Source : Ministry of International Trade and Industry Malaysia, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysian Rubber Board, Malaysian Cocoa Board, Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry Federation, Bloomberg and Czarnikow Group.

Highest and Lowest Prices, 2014/2015

Lowest (US$ per bbl)

Highest(US$ per bbl)

Crude Petroleum (13 March 2015)US$44.8 per bbl

201413 June 2014: 107.6

201426 Dec 2014: 54.6

20152 Jan 2015: 53.8

201513 Mar 2015: 44.8

Lowest (US$ per MT)

Highest(US$ per MT)

Crude Palm Oil (13 March 2015)US$673.5 per MT

201414 Mar 2014: 982.5

201426 Dec 2014: 664.0

201516 Jan 2015: 701.0

20156 Feb 2015: 621.0

Steel Bars(per MT)

RM1,850 - RM1,950

Average Domestic Prices, 13 Mar 2015

Billets(per MT)

RM1,450 - RM1,500

Source : Ministry of International Trade and Industry Malaysia, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysian Rubber Board, Malaysian Cocoa Board, Malaysian Pepper Board, Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry Federation, Bloomberg and Czarnikow Group, World Bank.

Commodity Price Trends“D

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19,207

18,946

19,097 20,402

20,798

20,916

21,890

24,693 25,215

26,159 26,592

27,282

27,202

26,176

26,600

15,000

17,000

19,000

21,000

23,000

25,000

27,000

29,000

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar

2014 2015

RM/

tonn

e

Black Pepper

* until 13 March 2015

54.6 53.8

48.4

48.7

45.6

48.2

51.7

52.8

50.8

49.8 49.6

44.8

40

42

44

46

48

50

52

54

56

26 Dec 2 Jan 9 Jan 16 Jan 23 Jan 30 Jan 6 Feb 13 Feb 20 Feb 27 Feb 6 Mar 13 Mar

US$

/bbl

Crude Petroleum

2,280.4

2,280.4

2,117.5

2,187.8

2,065.2

1,958.9

2,003.9

2,060.0

2,113.7 2,124.6

2,110.4

2,107.8

1,900

1,950

2,000

2,050

2,100

2,150

2,200

2,250

2,300

2,350


US$

/mt

Cocoa

314.0

309.3

301.8

335.3

345.5

331.3

324.3

330.0 326.8

310.8

300.5

291.0

280

290

300

310

320

330

340

350

360


US$

/mt

Raw Sugar

664.0

699.2

696.1

701.0

682.0

645.0

621.0

685.0690.0 689.0

692.5

673.5

600

620

640

660

680

700

720


US$

/mt

Crude Palm Oil

1,470.5

1,520.5

1,453.0

1,396.5

1,406.0

1,384.5

1,418.5

1,426.5

1,419.5

1,438.0

1,412.0

1,412.5

1,350

1,370

1,390

1,410

1,430

1,450

1,470

1,490

1,510

1,530


US$

/mt

Rubber SMR 20

Source : Ministry of International Trade and Industry Malaysia, Malaysian Palm Oil Board, Malaysian Rubber Board, Malaysian Cocoa Board, Malaysian Pepper Board, Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry Federation, Bloomberg and Czarnikow Group, World Bank.

Commodity Price Trends“D

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51.8 51.8

53.5

51.651.1

49.9

51.1

56.1

56.9

56.8

57.758.4

48.0

50.0

52.0

54.0

56.0

58.0

60.0


US$

/mt

Coal

128.1

121.4

111.8

114.6

100.6

92.7

96.192.6

82.4 81.0

74.068.0 68.0

63.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

110.0

120.0

130.0

140.0


2014 2015

US$

/dm

tu

Iron Ore

14,101 14,204

15,678

17,374

19,401

18,629 19,118

18,600 18,035

15,812 15,807

15,962

14,849 14,574

12,000

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

20,000


2014 2015

RM/

tonn

e

Nickel

320.0 320.0 320.0 320.0 320.0 320.0

330.0

320.0

280.0 280.0

260.0

270.0

300.0 300.0 300.0 300.0 300.0 300.0

320.0

300.0

250.0 250.0

240.0

250.0

220

240

260

280

300

320

340

360

21 Nov 28 Nov 5 Dec 12 Dec 19 Dec 26 Dec 2 Jan 9 Jan 6 Feb 13 Feb 27 Feb 13 Mar

US$

/mt

Scrap Iron

Scrap Iron/MT (High) Scrap Iron/MT(Low)

* data not available from 16 - 30 Jan, 20 Feb and 6 Mar 2015

1,727

1,695 1,705

1,811

1,751

1,839

1,948

2,030 1,990

1,946

2,056

1,909

1,815

1,818

1,500

1,600

1,700

1,800

1,900

2,000

2,100


2014 2015

RM/

tonn

e

Aluminium


7,291

7,149

6,650 6,674

6,891

6,821

7,113 7,002

6,872

6,737

6,713

6,446

5,831

5,729 5,500

5,700

5,900

6,100

6,300

6,500

6,700

6,900

7,100

7,300

7,500


2014 2015

RM/

tonn

e

Copper


13

includes amongst others structuring of facilities under the Capital Markets and products development, training, Shariah governancesuch as Shariah Audit & Shariah Review services and also market research and provision of anaccredited

Abdul Raman Saad & Associates (ARSA) ARSA has an enviable position as a premier company in the world of Islamic finance.The homegrown company began operations as an independent commercial entity,namely ARSA Shariah that was formed in 2008 for the provision of services related to Shariah Finance. This was followed with the establishment of ARSA Consultantsin 2010 initially to cater for data compliance and training.“Due to increasing demand in Islamic finance, locally and globally and also the aspiration of the Government of Malaysia to be the Islamic financial hub, coupledwith the Islamic finance industry being still in its evolution stage – ARSA saw the potential ofproviding such services,” said ARSA’s Founder, Datuk Dr Abdul Raman Saad.Amongst the services are Shariah advisory, which

STRATEGIC ALLIANCES ARSA develops strategic alliances to support its business growth and operations on a global platform. Thecompany has embarked on the strategy of having a smart partnership with its existing service recipients tominimise the risks. Abdul Abdul Raman adds: “We will focus on our recipients who go regional, for example, we advise the Al-‘Aqar Reit and this Reit has expanded their business across borders to Indonesia and also Australia. By having our presence in Indonesia, the Reit will continue using our services albeit under the Indonesian jurisdiction.” Other forms of strategic alliance that it considers are joint ventures with global partners, informal co-operation, contractual alliances, minority investments and franchising. There are many unique offerings of ARSA that makes it stand out from the rest in the same field. He says: “Advising on various aspects of Reit exercises is one of our unique value propositions. “There are still not many players in the market who are well versed or have diverse experience in relation to Reit related cases especially in relation to Islamic Reit.” ARSA, through its group, has diverse experience advising on Reit from its inception till financing – be it through straight lending or sukuk exercise. ARSA as a group has also experienced handling the exercise of converting the conventional Reit to an Islamic Reit. This experience gives the company a competitive edge over other regional players in the market. He adds: “The public perception that Reit is only confined to real estate including land and building is not true. Telecommunication or broadcasting towers can be used as assets for listing under a Reit – that is part of our unique offering.”

Success Story

Abdul Raman Saad & Associates Level 8, Bangunan KWSP No. 3, Changkat Raja Chulan Off Jalan Raja Chulan 50200 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Tel (+603) 2032 2323 Fax (+603) 2032 5775 Email [email protected]

Website : www.arsa.com.my

14

Quality Investments in Malaysia 2014

Source : MIDA

Infineon is Germany’s largest semiconductor manufacturer and a global leader in semiconductors for the automotive, power management and hardware security industries. The company has a cumulative investment of RM11 billion at three entities in Malaysia. The company is investing into expansions at all three companies including:

- Infineon Technologies (Kulim) Sdn Bhd: Infineon’s first wafer fabrication facility in Asia presently employs 1,800 staff. The company has plans to double its production capacity by expanding its operations and adding another additional 12,000 sqm fab facility.

- Infineon Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd: Infineon’s largest assembly and test facility in Melaka for discrete semiconductors, power semiconductors and sensor products. The facility currently employs more than 5,700 staff.

- Infineon Technologies (Advanced Logics) Sdn Bhd: Infineon’s assembly and test facility in Melaka for logic ICs, power semiconductors. It presently employs more than 1,900 staff.

The investments include the establishment of a Competence Centre for Megatrend Technologies in Kulim and the expansion of a Development Centre in Melaka. Both these initiatives will create more high-tech job opportunities for Malaysians. The Development Centre focuses on R&D competencies in areas of innovative IC packaging solutions, testing and product development.

Infineon is also collaborating with local universities such as Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTEM), Multimedia University (MMU), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and the German Malaysian Institute (GMI) in areas of talent development such as the Engineering Booster Program and German Dual Vocational Program in industrial management.

* 10-year forecast subject to change** Employment data to date

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