Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pledges special treatment for Kenyan businesses, citing friendship and trade potential as Malaysia-Kenya trade hits RM5.7 billion.
NAIROBI: Kenyan businesses will receive special treatment from Malaysia based on friendship and significant trade potential, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced.
Speaking at the Malaysia-Kenya High Level Business Forum, he emphasised that while the government facilitates trade, businesses must take the lead.
“The companies from Kenya should take the lead,” Anwar told the packed forum.
“There are areas that you excel at that we should benefit and learn from.”
He added that Malaysia would share its strengths in return, calling this “the new arrangement.”
Such expansion in trade, investment and knowledge is vital for economic success, according to the prime minister.
“We cannot purely depend on our traditional economic ability,” said Anwar, who also serves as finance minister.
“Neither should we depend on our traditional market access.”
The forum was attended by Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz and Kenya’s principal secretary for investment promotion Abubakar Hassan Abubakar.
Kenya emerged as Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner in Africa last year with total trade reaching RM5.7 billion.
This represented a 1.2% increase from the RM5.51 billion recorded in the previous year.
