PM: Malaysia open to working with all

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign investments in the country will never lead to Malaysia giving up an inch of its sovereignty, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said.

He said Malaysia, being an example of stability and moderation, was open to friendship and working with all.

This is in keeping with Malaysia’s history as a seafaring, trading nation — multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious nation, friendly to all and enemy of none, he said.

Najib said one of the hallmarks of Malaysia’s foreign policy under his government had been the forging of new bonds in the region and beyond, and the strengthening of ties with old friends.

“This government has signed comprehensive and strategic partnerships with a number of countries, including the United States, China and India.

“We welcome friendship and cooperation and the pursuit of legitimate interests,” he said in his keynote address during the 31st Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) held at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur.

His message was read of him by Minister in the Prime Minister Department Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.

Najib said these interactions and agreements had concrete results in terms of trade and jobs, such as the RM144 billion investment by China in Malaysia, Saudi Aramco’s RM31 billion investment in Petronas’s Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development in Johor, and the RM159 billion investment and economic cooperation deals agreed with India.

He said that Malaysia, despite the challenging economic climate, remained a highly attractive investment destination due to the government’s transformation programme bearing fruit.

“We will continue to adapt and adjust in keeping with our national needs and the external environment around us.

“Ours is a foreign policy that is at the service of, and which benefits, the rakyat of Malaysia, while also contributing to the progress of our nation through cooperation with our friends and partners,” he said.

APR is hosted by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, on behalf of Asean-ISIS, a network of leading think-tanks in Southeast Asia.

This year’s APR brings together great minds from 26 countries around the world to ponder, reflect, debate and explore solutions to the region’s strategic challenges with the theme, “The Future of the Asia Pacific: Issues and Institutions in Flux”.

The roundtable, which started yesterday, ends tomorrow.