Malaysian officials from four northern states rallied investors at a Cairo business forum on Monday, unveiling ambitious opportunities in manufacturing, high-tech parks, and industry-academia ties while calling for deeper collaboration with Egypt's renowned medical sector.
Dr. Haim Hilman Abdullah, Kedah State Executive Councillor for Industry, Investment, and Innovation and Board Member of the SG4 Group (representing Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Perlis), opened with a passionate pitch. He highlighted Kedah's role as Malaysia's manufacturing hub and "crown jewel," home to the Kulim High Tech Park, which attracted RM132 billion (about $28 billion USD) in investments over the past five years. "Our diplomatic ties with Egypt date back to 1957, but our shared history runs deeper – millions of Malaysians have studied here," Dr. Abdullah said. "Let's double our $900 million trade to $1 billion soon. Use Malaysia as your gateway to 680 million consumers in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific."
Noor Ikhsan Abdul Aziz, Chief Operating Officer of Invest Kedah, detailed Kedah's investor-friendly ecosystem. He announced streamlined approvals via the "E10" initiative – Effective Interaction Zero Delay – enabling startups from China, the US, and UK to go from planning to first export in just 10 months. "Processing times dropped from 1.9 to 1.7 months at our T-Bag institution," Aziz noted, referring to a key manufacturing entity. Kedah now advances to "E-In" for even faster integration, backed by reliable utilities: dedicated power from Nord Power on Pulau Hatipak, water from state-linked SADAR, natural gas from world-renowned Ketamat Gas, and telecom from Telekom Malaysia Pertahar.
Aziz emphasized special perks like the Kedah One Investment Team – a one-stop federal-state-local agency hub – fast-tracked land leases (60+39 or 99 years), tenant supply matching national needs, and tax exemptions via state-owned MADAR consultancy. He expressed eagerness for Egypt partnerships: "We're forming industry-academic collaborations, starting in Malaysia and extending to Egyptian universities, given Egypt's medical expertise."
Mr. Zulhilmi Abd Rahman, Acting CEO of Terengganu Strategic and Integrity Institute, joined the call, underscoring the SG4 states' shift from agriculture to strategic resources and minerals. The forum, packed with enthusiastic attendees, signals a new chapter under Egyptian leadership, with invitations extended for Egyptian investors to visit and explore Malaysia as a "home away from home."
Speakers positioned Malaysia as Egypt's ideal Asia-Pacific hub, urging joint ventures to boost exports and economies. "Today marks the beginning – let's build the Egypt-Malaysia team," Dr. Abdullah concluded.
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