Updated  
May, 24 2012 11:33:23

Malaysians eye VN market

 

Ahmad Shanizam
A group of 27 Malaysian Information Communications Technology companies will take part in a business-matching event for the first time at HCM City-based Quang Trung Software Park today. Viet Nam News talked with Ahmad Shanizam, trade commissioner of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE).

Can you comment on Viet Nam's information and communications technologies (ICT) market?

The first thing I can say is that it has a lot of potential. As a member of ASEAN, Malaysia would like to share what has been happening. We recognise that the young generation comprises a great proportion of the population in both Viet Nam and Malaysia.

Computers, tablets and smartphone are indispensable things for them. Whether we like it or not, ICT is linked closely with daily life, becoming an important part of life and making it better. So whatever the country, the trend will become dominant.

For that reason, we strongly believe that Viet Nam is a giant ICT market with a population of nearly 90 million, of which nearly half are young.

Why is Malaysia sending a group of ICT company to take part in business matching in Viet Nam?

Before arriving in Viet Nam, we visited Jakarta and the Middle East. We believe that it is a good time to engage with both governments. In the year ahead, there might be a new investment wave coming to create more jobs. More corporations would like to open offices in Viet Nam, and this will be an opportunity for us.

By launching the event at that time, we hope to have enough time for companies to prepare.

Actually, 22 Malaysian companies have already invested around $8 million for ICT in Viet Nam for a total of $9 billion from Malaysia. But I think it is still a small investment for the industry, and that is why we would like to bring more Malaysians to Viet Nam, as well as welcome Vietnamese companies to invest in Malaysia.

Are there opportunities to seek Islamic customers?

The Middle East is a potential market, for example. But basically it's hard to directly enter the market from Viet Nam because the Middle East is an Islamic region. But we can see how the Middle East looks in Malaysia and how they look in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam might use Malaysia as a gateway to enter this potential but difficult market.

The Middle East, of course, still prefers Muslims, and a company from Malaysia is seen in a more sympathetic light than companies from Viet Nam.

As you know, Malaysia is considered the most progressive Muslim country in the world. —VNS

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