Tan awarded Belgium’s royal award
KUALA LUMPUR:
Business tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan has been awarded the Commander of the Order of Leopold II in conjunction with the Belgium King’s Day celebration.
The award is recognition for his long-term and vast investments in Belgium.
Tan is also the owner of Belgian First Division KV Kortrijk football club.
The Order is awarded to Belgian nationals or distinguished foreign persons who made very important contributions to the Belgian state or society.
It is awarded by royal decree. Belgian Ambassador to Malaysia Pascal Gregoire presented the award at a special ceremony held here yesterday.
Gregoire said Malaysia and Belgium enjoyed a historical trade relationship, and that the award was to honour the individuals who promote trade relations between the two nations.
He also said the King’s Day Celebration officially renews the partnership between Malaysia and Belgium in the public and private sectors for both countries’ “mutual benefit”.
In his acceptance speech, Tan, who is the founder of Berjaya Corporation, pledged to work harder to take Belgium-Malaysia relationship and trade to greater heights.
He also encouraged Malaysian businessmen to look for opportunities and joint ventures in Belgium.
“This is because Belgium is a country with political stability and a large economy.
“It also has the advantage of being multilingual and multicultural, like Malaysia,” he added.
Also present at the ceremony were Belgian Secretary of State for Social Fraud, Privacy and the North Sea Philippe De Backer and Antwerp governor Cathy Berx, who are in Malaysia to lead a business delegation from Antwerp.
De Backer and Berx said that besides enhancing the present trade relations, they were also exploring more opportunities.
“A lot of (Belgian) companies are looking for opportunities because Belgium is a small country with an open economy; we’re always on the lookout for new opportunities,” they said, adding that some of these include sustainable development, cybersecurity and Internet of Things.