Yang Berhormat Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry;

His Excellency Dr. Lim Hong Hin, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Economic Community;

Excellencies, Ambassadors of ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners;

Distinguished guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome all our participants, especially from various ASEAN Member States, speakers and guests of the Forum on ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA).

Firstly, I would like to thank YB Dato’ Sri Mustapha Mohamad, Minister of International Trade and Industry for accepting the invitation to deliver the keynote address and to launch the ACIA Guidebook for Businesses and ACIA Handbook for Investment Promotion Agencies.

I would like to express my appreciation to the ASEAN Secretariat for giving the opportunity to MIDA to co-host the Forum.

The main objective of the Forum is to introduce and enhance awareness on the ACIA, which is a key instrument and enabler to accelerate the creation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), to attract foreign direct investments into ASEAN Member States and to provide benefits to businesses and investors in all ASEAN Member States.

ASEAN needs to develop policies, particularly in the areas of investment facilitation and promotion, to further strengthen intra-ASEAN investment inflows. This is important towards achieving the AEC target of “free and open investment regime within ASEAN”. The   implementation of the ACIA would further benefit ASEAN collectively as an attractive FDI destination. Through ACIA, ASEAN Member States are committed and will be able to improve their investment frameworks under the fundamental pillars of investment liberalisation, protection, facilitation and promotion.

There are vast investment opportunities in each ASEAN Member State. ASEAN needs to put up a continuous effort to further promote FDI inflows and cross-flows, both in the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors towards making ASEAN a competitive FDI destination and a single integrated market, as envisaged under the AEC. ASEAN needs to sustain its investment magnitude in the region in terms of reducing the costs of doing business, improving the investment climate, and overall strengthening the investment environment.

With the programme outlined, this forum is expected to provide a platform for understanding the ACIA, for both government officials and the business community. I hope that we will be able to have a fruitful discussion, enhance our collaboration and coordination, share knowledge and lessons learned and provide inputs towards making ASEAN an integrated single investment area.

With that, I would like to again express my sincere gratitude for your participation and for making this forum a success.

Thank you.