Opportunities in Malaysia – APPLY NOW!

Malaysia’s energy exports are its economy’s main driver and the country aims to become the region’s biopharma hub. GDP per capita is USD 10,933, with economic growth of 5.4% p.a. and annual inflation at 2.7%.

With a population of 30.3 million, Malaysia is Thailand’s 4th-largest trading partner. Its currency is the Ringgit.

Malaysia is one of the most vibrant economies in the AEC. Richly endowed with natural resources, it has strong manufacturing and services sectors and is a middle-income country with well-developed transport, telecommunications and financial systems.

Bangkok Bank

We opened our first Malaysia branch in 1959 and in 1994 obtained commercial registration for Bangkok Bank Berhad, a wholly–owned subsidiary with five branches: Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Bakri, Taman Molek, Penang Auto-City and Bandar Botanic Klang.

Opportunities

Malaysia is a major producer of energy and agricultural products such as oil and gas, palm oil and rubber. After oil and commodity prices fell sharply in 2015 the national currency, the Ringgit, depreciated. Despite this external shock, the economy has proved resilient and the fall in the currency means local assets, including real estate, are now cheaper for foreign investors. Malaysia will also be a beneficiary of economic integration and better connectivity under the AEC, with more skilled workers and investment likely to be attracted. A high-speed rail service is planned which will link Kuala Lumpur with Singapore. The trip will take only 90 minutes so it will be possible to commute between the two, benefiting from Singapore’s commercial strength while enjoying the space and lower cost of living in Kuala Lumpur.

Challenges

Malaysia has three major ethnic groups – Malay, Chinese and Indian – and each has its own distinctive religion, customs and political affiliation which can affect their approach to business.

Tips for investing and doing business

Learn about the local culture, be aware of the background of your business partner, and take these into account. Since commodity prices are now close to the bottom of the cycle it’s a good time to invest in Malaysian assets, especially in the agro-industry sector.

To find out more about these exciting opportunities, please contact:

Mr. Choo Joon Keong, Chief Executive Officer, Bangkok Bank Berhad

Tel: (60) 32 174 6888

Email: bbb@bangkokbank.com

Note: Information up-to-date as of October 2017