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Malaysian expertise under the spotlight

01 January 2008

The first-ever Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE 2008) will see 150 world-class service providers from Malaysia showcasing the latest in products and services at the Expo Centre, Sharjah, UAE this month (January 13 to 15), according to a spokesman for the organiser.

The exhibition, organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), will seek to highlight Malaysian expertise in specific sectors that are in demand in the region.
“This exhibition is a direct response to the overwhelming need for quality services in the region that can be easily met by Malaysian companies and organisations,” says Noraslan Hadi Abdul Kadir, consul general (acting) and trade commissioner of the consulate general of Malaysia in Dubai.
The importance of the Middle East market for the Malaysian industry is evident from the fact that this is the first time a Matrade exhibition for the services industry is being held outside Malaysia, says Kadir.
“The fast-paced expansion of the region’s infrastructure and facilities is drawing in its wake an increasing demand for premium and professional services. We are hopeful that MSE 2008 will act as an apt showcase for the strengths and capabilities of the participating Malaysian companies.”
“To facilitate fruitful encounters, we have divided all exhibitors into strategic industry clusters, and we have also planned several events concurrent with the exhibition – such as forums, round-table discussions and one-to-one business meetings – all of which will undoubtedly make MSE 2008 an excellent occasion for alliances and partnerships that can benefit all parties,” he adds.
MSE 2008 will showcase 11 specific industry clusters: construction, engineering, healthcare and hospital-related services, ICT, oil and gas, education and specialised training, energy and power generation, finance, logistics and transportation, professional services and franchising clusters.
Some of the participating companies include KPJ Healthcare, Scicom (MSC) and Maybank (the largest bank in Malaysia).
The construction cluster, one of the largest representations at the exhibition, will feature a contingent of 15 companies who have jointly completed projects worth approximately Dh7.725 billion ($2.1 billion) in 20 countries including in the Middle East, and we aim to target more. Many of the companies are familiar names in the region including WCT Engineering and Eversendai Corporation Group, which were involved in the construction of the Bahrain Formula One international circuit and the Burj Al Arab.
Matrade, Malaysia’s national trade promotion organisation that has 34 offices worldwide including those in Dubai, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Cairo (Egpyt), is partnering with 26 Malaysian trade and industry organisations and associations, and government agencies that include the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), Professional Services Development Corporation (PSDC), Institute of Architects Malaysia (PAM), Institute of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), and Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM). These bodies will assume the role of lead agency for their respective industry clusters.
MSE 2008 is expected to be attended by a cross-section of visitors from across the region including CEOs and senior executives of private sector companies, procurement and purchase officers/managers, bankers and financiers, developers and owners of realty projects, government officials, and entrepreneurs, among others.
Admission is free at the exhibition and early visitors will receive gifts daily, while a lucky visitor will win two return flight tickets for the Dubai-Kuala Lumpur route sponsored by Malaysian Airlines.