Malaysia can continue to bank on its strong bilateral trade and investment linkages, especially within ASEAN, to boost its trade as well as take advantage of various trade pacts such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), said a Malaysian scholar.

Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid, Chairman of CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (CARI) ASEAN Research and Advocacy, said the country must also not be afraid of opportunities such as those offered by the CPTPP.

He said that the talk on the Asian Monetary Fund (AMF), which was mooted by the Prime Minister recently, is timely.

There are still good extra-regional markets such as Mexico and Canada, he said, adding that the European Union (EU) should not be forgotten. Even the US, Mexico and Canada, as there is an FTA among the three.

Besides, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) also urged the Government to sign preferential trade agreements with emerging countries such as Bangladesh and Middle East countries, especially the United Arab Emirates.

Source: Vietnam News Agency