KOTA KINABALU: Government agencies and technology companies from Malaysia and China sealed five memoranda of understanding (MoUs) yesterday in various industrial sectors.
The signing ceremony, which took place after the Malaysia-China Manufacturing Roundtable Meeting here, was witnessed by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Darell Leiking together with China’s Industry and Information Technology Minister Miao Wei and China Consul-General to Kota Kinabalu, Liang Caide.
The MoUs involve collaborations between the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) and the Center for International Economic and Technological Cooperation (CIETC); SIRIM and Huawei Technologies (Malaysia); K.T.I. Sdn Bhd and Sany Construction Industry Development (M) Sdn Bhd; PP Telecommunication Sdn Bhd and China Wuhan FiberHome Telecommunication Technologies Co Ltd; and NHY Borneo and SANY (China).
MARii and CIETC plan to collaborate on the latest industry policies, technological breakthroughs and deepening business cooperation in the fields of automotive, industrial robotics and the Internet-of-Things, while SIRIM and Huawei will strengthen co-operation in areas related to Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing.
Speaking to reporters after the event, Leiking said the collaborations would be based in Sabah and some of the partnerships had already started several months ago.
“We are very happy that (today) we are able to find this opportunity and time to be together with Minister Miao Wei who took the initiative to come to Sabah and see what the state has to offer. We were also able to hold a roundtable talk to introduce the Malaysian and Chinese companies that are operating or will be operating in Malaysia, focusing on Sabah.
“What is most important is that we have the highest ranking minister in the Chinese government here to bring new hope, new opportunities and new trust directly between not only Malaysia and China but also China and Sabah,” he said.
The Malaysia-China Smart Manufacturing Roundtable Meeting, themed “Win-Win Cooperation For Manufacturing Innovative Development”, was hosted by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry with the cooperation of China’s Industry and Information Technology Ministry.
It was specially organised to bridge business collaboration in smart manufacturing among businesses from the two countries, and the session was attended by major industry players from key sectors relevant to smart manufacturing from both countries such as Huawei Malaysia, Beidou Communication Group, First Solar, Proton, Perodua, Hikvision, Hisense and Jinko.
Leiking said the roundtable meeting was a good platform to match businesses between Malaysia and China to share ideas, knowledge and expertise on smart manufacturing technology and global practices.
He also explained that the event was another important milestone for trade relations between the two countries, particularly in new technology areas within the automotive, electronics, telecommunications and mobility sectors that were in line with Industry 4.0.
“I believe the new business relationships forged today will create new in-roads and opportunities for Malaysians to participate in the global value chain. It is also significant that an engagement of this magnitude is held in Sabah. I hope it will allow more opportunities to reach this part of the region in the near future,” he added.
Meanwhile, Miao said Sabah had a huge potential with various resources to be developed.
He also described the state as very beautiful, noting that it attracted about 600,000 tourists from China last year. — Bernama