Interview with Rafidah Aziz, Malaysia’s former Minister of Trade and Industry
Rafidah Aziz, has been Malaysia’s longest serving Minister of Trade and Industry, in fact, up to this month she had been in the position since 1987. She knows her trade like few others and her knowledge of complex rules on international commerce is remarkable.
I sat down with her at her ministry offices in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year and asked her questions ranging from the negotiations on Free Trade Agreements with the United States to the role of women in government. She answered directly and candidly.
I also asked her about the “misconceptions” that the West has toward Islam, and the tendency to lump all Islamic nations into one “bad basket.” She placed a large part of the blame for this misconception on Western media and stated that it was our role to correct this imbalance, while at the same time explaining the difference between a fundamentalist and an extremist: “Malaysia, with its multi-ethnic and multi-religious mix, is uniquely positioned to act as a bridge of understanding between Islam and the West.” Here are some excerpts from the interview.
Q: Currently the United States is Malaysia’s largest trading partner and Malaysia is ranked tenth among countries that trade with the United States. To what do you attribute this positive scenario?
Aziz: Excellent bilateral relationships and long standing trade and economic links between the two countries [have created this situation] as well as the fact that U.S. companies have been involved in Malaysia’s industrialization since the early 70’s.
E&E [electrical and electronic] products account for a major portion of the trade, attributed essentially to the huge investments by American companies in this sector as well as the demand for E&E products by the US.
Q: After India and China, AT Kearney ranked Malaysia as the third best country in the world for outsourcing. Do you agree? If so what are the reasons to chose Malaysia?
Aziz: Political stability, strategic location, an English-speaking workforce coupled with the fact that Malaysia is a “gateway” to a regional market of over half a billion consumers [make us a favorable choice].
The infrastructure is first class, with modern airports, deep-water ports and developing public transportation systems. There is an excellent telecommunications system and reliable power and water facilities.
Lastly one cannot forget that there is an excellent business environment—one of the central tenets of our pro-business government. The Malaysian government provides intellectual property protection and information privacy and is taking measures to combat piracy through the enforcement arm: the Special Copyright Task Force.
Q: What are the areas where you would like to see greater cooperation between the United States and Malaysia?
Aziz: We would like to see greater cooperation in capacity building, both in terms of human resources development and the development of technology.
It is important for Malaysia to continue to develop human resources and raise the level of technological capability to stay ahead in terms of industrial competitiveness and enhanced productivity.
Malaysia is moving towards promoting the development of high-tech and knowledge-based industries as well as promoting manufacturing-related industries. (advanced electronics, ICT industries, R&D, product designs and biotechnology). Technical cooperation from the United States will help Malaysia to meet these objectives.
When asked about the on-going Free Trade Agreement talks, Minister Aziz merely stated that the seventh round was held in January of 2008 and that negotiations are ongoing. While Malaysia is committed to the success of these talks, it also expects to derive benefits from an FTA.
