Officers of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation’s (MATRADE) who attended the Workshop on Public Diplomacy and Media Skills 1/2013 in January 2013 invited IDFR’s officers to the Media Conference on Malaysia’s Trade Performance 2012 by YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) on 8 February 2013. Two officers and an intern namely Puan Rafizah Zahri, Cik Khairul Bariah Che Amat and Cik Sheerena from the Academic Studies, Research and Publication Division attended the Media Conference as the ideal learning ground of execution of a press conference involving senior official at national level.
YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed informed the media that Malaysia recorded the highest trade of RM1.31 trillion compared with RM1.27 trillion in 2011. Meanwhile, the export rate increased by 0.6% to RM702.19 billion and the import rate increased by 5.9% to RM607.36 billion totaling to a trade surplus of RM94.83 billion for the 15th consecutive year of surplus since November 1997.
Expansion of trade was also recorded with Malaysia’s main partners among others were with ASEAN, an increase of 8.2%; the People’s Republic of China (PRC), increase of 8%; Australia, increase of 13.6%; India, increase of 7.3%; the United Arab Emirates (UAE), increase of 17.3%; and Republic of Korea (ROK), increase of 0.9%. While trade with Japan decreased by 1%; the European Union (EU), decreased by 2.4%; and the United States of America (USA), decreased by 2.8%.
The event concluded with a dialogue with YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, YBhg. Datuk Dr. Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria (Secretary General of MITI) and YBhg. Datuk Dr. Wong Lai Sum (Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation). It was attended by media representatives, senior officers of government agencies and trade organisations as well as captains of industries.
Reported by : Khairul Bariah Che Amat
Academic Studies, Research and Publication Division
