Expo 2025 Osaka, ASEAN Chairmanship Position Malaysia as Trusted Partner For Sustainable Growth - MITI
By Danni Haizal Danial Donald
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s achievements at the Expo 2025 Osaka and as ASEAN Chair in 2025 have positioned the country as a trusted partner in driving sustainable growth, regional integration, and global investor confidence, setting the stage for Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and beyond.
Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) secretary general Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob said Malaysia’s record-breaking achievement at Expo 2025 Osaka reflects Malaysia’s competitiveness and the whole-of-government approach that brought together ministries, states, and agencies to showcase its strengths.
He said Expo 2025 Osaka has strengthened Malaysia’s cultural diplomacy and small and medium enterprises (SME) pathways into Japanese and regional supply chains, aligning with national priorities under the New Industrial Masterplan 2030 (NIMP 2030), the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR), the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), and the MADANI Economy.
“Investor interest was particularly strong in semiconductors, advanced chemicals, green technology, and halal products – sectors that mirror Japan’s own green and digital transformation agendas.
“To ensure expo leads translate into real projects, MITI and its agencies have activated structured follow-up mechanisms, including a new Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)-Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) memorandum of cooperation to accelerate Japanese investment realisation,” he told Bernama.
To recap, Malaysia Pavilion, held over six months, attracted 3.52 million visitors, more than double its initial target, while generating RM24.45 billion in potential trade and investment leads, far surpassing the original RM13 billion goal and reinforcing its position as a dynamic hub for trade, investment, and regional leadership.
Notably, 79 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and cooperation agreements valued at RM6.04 billion were signed across high-impact sectors including semiconductors, renewable energy, education, and agriculture.
Meanwhile, Hairil Yahri, who is also Malaysia’s Commissioner-General for World Expo 2025, said beyond the 2025 expo, Malaysia’s role as ASEAN Chair in 2025 has also delivered significant progress.
He noted that during its ASEAN chairmanship, Malaysia took the opportunity to underscore the urgent need to further strengthen intra-ASEAN trade as a means to enhance regional resilience and secure supply chains.
“In this regard, Malaysia -- through its Priority Economic Deliverables -- has championed the completion of the review and signing of the Second Protocol to Amend ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) within 2025, marking the first comprehensive update since its inception in 2009.
“The upgraded agreement aims not only to strengthen intra-ASEAN trade in goods, but also to modernise the framework to better reflect the realities of today’s rapidly evolving global economy,” he said.
Key frameworks such as the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) and the ASEAN Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Network further align with Malaysia’s NIMP 2030 ambitions for high-value manufacturing and innovation.
-- BERNAMA
