World-Class Management of 9MP- Effendi The government’s implementation of the Ninth Malaysia Plan would be successful only if the government services its customers and “you are our customers”, Senator Datuk Sri Effendi Norwawi told the Commonwealth Speakers luncheon meeting at the Crowne Plaza Mutiara on June 13. Effendi, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department responsible to the PM for 9MP implementation, said the government was making radical changes to ensure fast, efficient achievement of the Plan’s ambitious goals. To ensure this, the 9MP was subject to a regime of best practice and world class management and benchmarking to ensure effective implementation. Implementation measures included remedial action to ensure that the bureaucracy is fully responsive to the government’s policy of encouraging and accelerating the flow of foreign direct investment to Malaysia. Effendi said the National Implementation Task Force for the 9MP was chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi himself and met fortnightly under the PM’s watchful eye to ensure that all targets are on track. He said the government wanted to create an environment that facilitates investment and assured his business audiences that the government is open to feedback. Effendi fielded questions from the audience on government policies for attraction and protection of FDI, the need for greater Ministry of Domestic Trade & Consumer Affairs’ guidelines on rationalisation and distribution of trade and the need for greater attention to be paid to the need for SME and re-investment incentives. The June Commonwealth Speakers luncheon was hosted by the Malaysia Canada Business Council and is part of a luncheon series organised by the bilateral business councils of Malaysia-Australia/Britian/Canada/New Zealand and South Africa.

PM, Rafidah Visit Austrade’s EABEX Stand Thanks to the generous donation of space by Austrade in its stand at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the MABC was well represented when prime minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi inspected the Australian pavilion at the EABEX ’05 show which took as its theme Forging East Asian Business Synergies. High commissioner, James Wise, senior Australian trade commissioner, Peter Kane and MABC’s vice-chairman, Eric Pringle and executive director, Christina Huang, were on hand to greet the PM when he called at the stand, accompanied by MITI minister, and MABC co-patron, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz. Sixteen countries exhibited at EABEX ’05 which was officially opened by the PM in December in conjunction with 11th Asean summit and the inaugural East Asia summit. In addition to Asean exhibitors, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea showcased technology and industries in their national pavilions. The show attracted nearly 10,000 visitors, mainly from the business community, with the most popular exhibits featuring lifestyle, foodstuff and automotive products. Matrade reported that 371 company representatives of 285 foreign companies from 26 countries participated in business meetings. Some 543 Malaysian companies took part in the more than 3,000 one-to-one business meetings held during the five days show. MABC members took part in a cocktail party hosted by Austrade at the Australian pavilion on December 11.