Latest news with #JointDevelopmentStrategy
The Star
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Malaysia enhancing cooperation with Thailand for trade, says Liew
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is enhancing strategic cooperation with the Thai government to facilitate smoother movement of goods through northern border checkpoints, says Liew Chin Tong. The Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister said the collaboration aims to support industries such as Kedah Rubber City (KRC), which require efficient logistics to meet export demands. 'MITI remains committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with the Thai government to facilitate the movement of goods across border checkpoints, including through the Durian Burung entry point,' he told the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (July 28). Responding to a question from Nurul Amin Hamid (Perikatan–Padang Terap), Liew said the initiative involves close coordination with various ministries and agencies, including the Finance and Home Ministries, Immigration Department, Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKSEM), and the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA). However, Liew said infrastructure at the ICQS Durian Burung Complex remains insufficient to support large-scale trade, particularly for container-based operations. To address this, he said the NCIA is spearheading several initiatives, including a feasibility study for a proposed Border Economic Zone to explore economic potential in the Durian Burung area and surrounding regions. He said other efforts include cooperation under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) and the Joint Development Strategy (JDS), which focus on sectors such as halal, logistics, rubber, and tourism. 'The JDS specifically aims to enhance connectivity and trade policy coordination, which in turn strengthens the synergy between both countries,' he said. Liew added that both sides had agreed to improve trade facilitation, including infrastructure upgrades, logistics systems, and streamlined procedures at key border crossings. 'These measures are expected to expedite customs clearance and reduce costs and turnaround time for cross-border goods movement,' he said. While acknowledging proposals to utilise Thailand's Songkhla Port as an alternative export route, Liew said the government is prioritising domestic ports such as Penang and Kuala Perlis. 'This aligns with our broader strategy to enhance the competitiveness of local ports and ensure the economic benefits reach local communities and industry players,' he said. He added that his ministry is open to studying proposals and making recommendations to the Finance Ministry to introduce incentives that would encourage higher usage of local ports by investors, particularly those setting up export-oriented manufacturing facilities.
New Straits Times
17 hours ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Govt working with Thai counterparts to facilitate goods movement
KUALA LUMPUR: The government remains committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with the Thai Government to facilitate the movement of goods across border checkpoints, including through the Durian Burung entry point in Kedah. Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Minister Liew Chin Tong told the Dewan Rakyat that the government was working closely with Thai counterparts to ease goods movement across the northern border and to support export needs for industries such as Kedah Rubber City. "Miti remains committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with the Thai government to facilitate the movement of goods across border checkpoints, including through the Durian Burung entry point. "This effort requires close collaboration with relevant ministries and agencies, such as the Finance Ministry, Home Ministry, the Immigration Department, the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS), and the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA)," he said in response to a question from Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap). Liew, however, acknowledged that the infrastructure at the ICQS Durian Burung Complex was still inadequate to support large-scale trade operations, especially those involving the use of containers. He said the government, through NCIA, was implementing several strategic initiatives, including conducting a feasibility study for a Border Economic Zone to identify potential economic opportunities that could be developed in the border area, including the KRC and surrounding regions near Durian Burung. Other initiatives include regional cooperation under the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) and the Joint Development Strategy (JDS). "These collaborations focus on development in industries such as halal, logistics, rubber, and tourism. The JDS specifically aims to enhance connectivity and international trade policies, strengthening synergy between both countries. "In addition, the Malaysian government remains committed to enhancing strategic cooperation with Thailand through existing platforms such as the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Trade Committee," he said. He added that both parties had agreed to improve trade facilitation, including upgrading infrastructure, logistics systems, and procedures at border checkpoints. These steps, he said, were expected to accelerate Customs clearance processes while reducing time and costs for cross-border goods movement. "Although there have been suggestions to use Songkhla Port in Thailand as an alternative export route, the government is currently focused on maximising the use of domestic ports, especially in Penang and Kuala Perlis. "This initiative aligns with the government's broader strategy to enhance the competitiveness of local ports, while ensuring the economic benefits are fully realised by industry players and local communities," he said. Liew added that the ministry was also open to studying and proposing recommendations to the Finance Ministry to provide various incentives aimed at increasing the usage of local ports when asked on the ministry's short-term plans to encourage investors to use domestic ports for setting up factories or exporting products abroad.
