INTERNATIONAL Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has pledged to ensure that Malaysia continues to be an important destination for investment while making the country competitive in the eyes of investors. 

“I believe the task is already big but going forward, we need to ensure that Malaysia continues to achieve the momentum to ensure we attract key investment, especially in the area that brings value to the country,” he told reporters after clocking in for the first time as minister at Menara Miti at 6.07pm today.

Earlier today, he was sworn in before Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah along with the two deputy prime ministers and 24 other members of cabinet at Istana Negara. 

Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia, being a small and open economy, has posted four quarters of strong GDP growth.

“By growing forward, we have to ensure that this momentum continues and I hope my role in Miti (Ministry of International Trade and Industry) with the support of the prime minister, cabinet members and colleagues, we can ensure that Malaysia navigates well for the year 2023,” he said. 

On the urge to review the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership by certain parties, Tengku Zafrul said he would have a discussion at the cabinet level once he had been briefed by ministry officials.

“I still haven’t been fully briefed… it’s too early for me to comment,” he said.

Commenting on former international trade and industry minister Rafidah Aziz’s statement on his appointment, Tengku Zafrul said the appointment was the prerogative of the prime minister and thus, the focus would be on ensuring his role as the minister of Miti to assist the country.

According to a report by a local news portal, Rafidah questioned the appointment of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Tengku Zafrul to the cabinet as “scraping the bottom of the barrel”.

The former finance minister was appointed as the international trade and industry minister under the administration of Anwar Ibrahim, the third prime minister to elect him into the cabinet after Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob. – Bernama, December 3, 2022.