Malaysia in Focus

Passengers stranded in Malaysia by the Icelandic volcano that has disrupted flights to Europe, have been given free tours of Kuala Lumpur thanks to airport operator Malaysia Airports, Tourism Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

Malaysia has a reputation within Asia for providing value for money says Lim Juay Jin, Charge D'Affaires of the Malaysian Embassy in China, who added, "Malaysia is a popular destination for Chinese tourists due to its beautiful scenery, rich cultural diversity and convenient travel facilities."

Green technology - including renewable energy  - needs to develop and become a major future contributor to Malaysia's economy, says Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir.

Malaysia wants to expand its bilateral trade with Finland and learn from its innovative spirit, Prime Minister Najib Razak  said while welcoming the Finnish Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, to the country.

The Central Bank of Malaysia and the Malaysian government are Developed programmes to educate central banks around the world on regulating Islamic financial systems.

Malaysia's International Trade and Industry Ministry plans to set up an internet portal to increase Malaysian businesses and professionals overseas.

Malaysia has won a gold medal for displaying a Malaysian style garden at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show in London.

To attract Middle Eastern tourists Malaysia is to stage its first ever Ramadan summer festival.

Tourism Minister of Malaysia has urged tourism operators across the country to be more creative in order to attract more tourists.

As part of the 10th Malaysia plan, the government is to focus on improving standards of living in rural areas, says Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Kelantan which have its lush tropical forests, rivers and waterfalls, saw an increase in the number of tourist arrivals increase by 88,240 in 2008 to 107,000 last year.

Despite the global economic climate, Malaysia continued to attract tourists from around the world last year.Record of Immigration Department showed that 21.5 million tourists arrived between January- November 2009

Malaysia an international hub for the halal industry, is expected to sign deals worth some RM3.8 billion during Halal Malaysia Week, says Prime Minister Najib Razak.((

Malaysia wants to boost exports and investment in 2010 to help it compete with other countries.

Najib Razak Prime Minister of Malaysia says that he hopes that trade between Malaysia and China will double in the next five years.

Malaysia, Ready to include Islamic finance in its negotiations for a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Malaysia's outsourcing industry is expected to grow between 15 and 20 per cent this year.Malaysia is currently ranked third in the Asia Pacific region for outsourcing according to research firm AT Kearney. The country's success in the industry is due in part to the wide range of language skills in the country including Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil.

The Netherlands says it is great to working with Malaysia on green technology projects.

Computer disk drive maker Western Digital is Ready to spend $1.2 billion over the next five years expanding its operations in Malaysia.

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak says that the country intends to make broadband access as widespread and affordable as soon as possible.