Biz associations welcome Anwar as 10th Prime Minister of M’sia
KUCHING: Business associations such as the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Association (Samenta) welcomed news of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s appointment as the tenth Prime Minister of Malaysia.
“FMM will continue to give our fullest support and cooperation to the government of the day,” FMM president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said in a statement.
“The business community looks forward to the able and competent leadership of Anwar and his soon-to-be-formed Cabinet to steer Malaysia’s economy and in particular the business sector to the road of recovery from the Covid19 pandemic and the current global economic challenges.”
Soh said he looks forward to the expeditious formation of the Cabinet to ensure that all necessary measures and policies are put in place quickly including Budget 2023 to assist the economic sectors and the rakyat in this challenging period.
FMM also anticipates the continued support and emphasis on competitive and sustainable value creation and economic growth through manufacturing activities which has been the pillar of economic growth especially during the pandemic period.
“Moving forward, it is important for the government to strengthen the economic fundamentals including lowering the cost of doing business which is a major obstacle to business recovery,” Soh said.
“Fundamental to the business community is the need to restore the confidence level of both foreign and domestic investors by focusing on the right policies, strengthening the capital market and ensuring the stability of the ringgit.
“Institutional reforms are also key to economic recovery with continued focus on government administration efficiency and ensuring the highest level of integrity. It is also crucial to improve the wellbeing of the people by focusing on enhancing their purchasing power and lowering the cost of living.
FMM will continue to give our fullest support and cooperation to the government of the day.
Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai
“Towards this end, FMM pledges to work closely alongside with the new Cabinet to help further revive the Malaysian economy from the global headwinds and for industries to return to a competitive position in the global market as well as for Malaysia to continue to be a favoured investment destination.”
Samenta chairman Datuk William Ng commented that Anwar has been a proven, firm supporter of SMEs, and is among the most vocal defenders of SMEs during the pandemic, inside and outside of the parliament.
“In all our engagement with him, he has highlighted the need for our SMEs to move up the value chain, to be sustainable and to be ready to support the key focus economic sectors,” Ng said.
“We are hopeful that as Prime Minister, he will continue to stand by the one million SMEs in the country.”