Kuala lumpur: Most of the priority economic deliverables (PEDs) under the Malaysian ASEAN chairmanship 2025 are expected to be completed by the end of its tenure, said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. He stated that these PEDs signify Malaysia’s commitment to elevating ASEAN as a beacon of economic resilience, opportunity, and regional cooperation.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tengku Zafrul emphasized Malaysia’s dedication to enhancing the region’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the PEDs, which are designed to address their specific needs. These initiatives include promoting access to climate financing, developing a more inclusive ASEAN capital market, establishing the MSME Centre of Excellence for green transition, and creating a robust digital economy foundation through the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).
“As chair of ASEAN this year, Malaysia fully embraces the heavy responsibility of elevating and positioning ASEAN as a viable global convenor in an era of geopolitical discontent and geoeconomic disruption,” Tengku Zafrul expressed during the closing of the DHL GoTrade Summit 2025. The event was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the chief executive officer of DHL Express, John Pearson.
Tengku Zafrul noted that MSMEs are integral to both ASEAN and Malaysia’s economies, highlighting the need to rethink and adjust trade strategies to support MSMEs in shaping, sustaining, or shifting their approaches. He pointed out the role of the MADANI Economy Framework in this context.
“As part of its overarching mission to raise both the ceiling and the floor of our economy, MITI (Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry) has spearheaded many reform policies to ensure better depth and breadth of SMEs’ (small and medium enterprises) involvement in Malaysia’s industrial, trade and investment sectors. To build the country’s export resilience, we must transform our SMEs into ‘hidden champions’ – globally competitive firms with niche expertise, homegrown technologies and innovations,” he added.