FMM urges ASEAN to boost trade integration for economic growth
FMM President Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai emphasised the need for mutual recognition of standards, unified digital customs platforms, and regulatory alignment among member states.
Soh highlighted that intra-ASEAN trade currently makes up only 22 per cent of the region's total trade, far below the European Union's 60 per cent.
'Closing this gap is crucial to unlocking ASEAN's full economic potential and ensuring long-term supply chain resilience,' he said in a statement.
The FMM reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with governments and regional stakeholders to foster a more integrated, stable, and competitive ASEAN economy.
Soh also commended Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's mediation in easing tensions between Thailand and Cambodia.
'This diplomatic success demonstrates Malaysia's growing influence in promoting ASEAN unity and stability.
It also reaffirms the bloc's ability to resolve geopolitical challenges through dialogue and strong leadership,' Soh added. - Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
5 minutes ago
- The Star
Malaysia's commodities remain competitive even with tariffs, says Johari
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin (right) handing over a token of appreciation to Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani (second from right), who officiated the Pasir Gudang division Umno annual general assembly here. JOHOR BARU: The newly revised 19% tariff imposed by the United States on Malaysia is not expected to impact the competitiveness of the nation's commodities in global markets, according to Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani. He noted that the tariff remains competitive compared to other Asean countries, including Indonesia, which also faces the same rate. "The 19% tariff imposed by the US on Malaysia is among the lowest in Asean countries, and even Indonesia, the world's largest palm oil producer, is subject to the same tariff rate," he explained. "In the context of palm oil, Indonesia is the largest producer and we are number two, but Indonesia is also subject to 19% like Malaysia, so there is no problem," he added. Johari made these remarks at a press conference after officiating the Pasir Gudang Umno division annual general meeting. He was responding to queries about whether the 19% tariff would affect the country's commodities on the international stage. It was previously reported that Malaysia will now face a 19% tariff on exports to the US, reduced from the previous 25%, as per an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump. The new tariff structure takes effect in seven days and applies to goods entering the US for consumption, with limited exceptions for shipments already in transit. Signed on July 31, 2025, the order amends Executive Order 14257 and imposes revised ad valorem duties on multiple trading partners, including all major Asean nations. Under the latest tariff list, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia each face a 19% rate.
Sinar Daily
35 minutes ago
- Sinar Daily
Who makes laundry smell nice? Meet the professional 'noses'
HOLZMINDEN - In the laboratories of German fragrance and flavours giant Symrise, a citrus scent clings to the lab coats of trainees, "noses" who are learning the art of making things smell good. These busy heroes of the world of smells and aromas shape the connection millions of consumers have with everyday items. While at high-end perfume labels, olfactory artists create scents for luxury body sprays, Symrise's experts work on everyday products that might range from mint-flavoured toothpaste to barbeque chips. Smell, a powerful sense that can trigger emotions and memories, and aroma often decide which food or beverage, cleaning or personal hygiene product ends up in the shopping cart. At Symrise's headquarters in Holzminden, a quiet town south of Hanover, each day at the company's in-house perfumery school begins the same way: sniffing out scents from dozens of tiny bottles while blindfolded. "It's just like tuning a musical instrument before you play," said Alicia De Benito Cassado, a 32-year-old former professional pianist from Spain. Her career switch into scent development was a natural step: she made her own perfumes as a teenager to match the poetry and music that she wrote. "For me, not everything has to smell good," she said. "The horror of smell also helps us discover ourselves." But commercial clients demand something different, De Benito Cassado added. "In the end, we need to create scents that are strong, beautiful, powerful and affordable." - Professional sniffers - Being a "nose" is a full-time job and comes with a three-year training programme. The smell of a fabric softener can be composed of 80 compounds, far more than in a premium body perfume and the best noses can make out over 1,000 different odours while blindfolded. Junior perfumers (L-R) Attiya Setai, Shangyun Lyu and Alicia de Benito Cassado hold smell strips which are used to evaluate fragrances in a mixing room at the Symrise company, where perfume oil formulas are developed, in Holzminden, central Germany. Photo by Michael Matthey/AFP Shangyun Lyu, 31, came from China to study at the school and says that a professional sniffer can get by with knowing about 500 scents. Being able to break down odours into their chemical components is key. "As a kid, I just smelled jasmine or gardenia as flowers," he said. "Now, I recognise the chemicals: it's a blend of many elements." Students weigh ingredients down to the milligramme, mix, smell and start over, often by replicating existing smells to understand their structure and then innovate from there. "When developing perfume, it is very important that several people smell it," said 56-year-old master perfumer Marc vom Ende, head of the school. "We all perceive smell differently." - 'Nose has the final say' - Pleasant smells cannot come at any cost and the rules of the game change over time. Lilial, a chemical once prized for its floral and sweet Lily-of-the-Valley notes, has been banned in the European Union since 2022 over fears it can cause skin irritation and damage the reproductive system. Fragrances applied directly to the body have stricter regulations than detergents, said 27-year-old South African trainee Attiya Setai. "We're more restricted in raw materials and must replace banned ingredients with new compliant ones," she said. Tastes also vary across global markets, with Shangyun pointing to the example of Chinese shampoos that sell well with a young clientele there but would struggle in Europe. "Something old-fashioned in one country can be new elsewhere," he said. Cost also enters the equation. Symrise extracts aromatic compounds from wood resin, a by-product of the paper industry, in a move "that makes both economic and environmental sense", said vom Ende. It is hard to be a nose. About 500 perfumers work in the industry and 80 of them at Symrise, which has a workforce of 13,000. The company markets about 30,000 products to clients ranging from confectioners to pet food manufacturers and suncream makers. Symrise's competitors include DSM-Firmenich, headquartered in both Switzerland and the Netherlands, as well as Givaudan, another Swiss firm. Artificial intelligence increasingly plays a role, with computer programmes predicting which fragrances will hit the mark. Still, the machines cannot -- yet -- smell, even if they can understand speech and read text. "We're supported by AI," vom Ende said. "But the nose has the final say". - AFP
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
After Thai-Cambodia truce, Anwar now seen as key to possible Asean-led Myanmar peace push
PHNOM PENH, Aug 2 — Following its successful mediation of the Cambodia–Thailand border truce, Malaysia may now seek to apply a similar conflict resolution model to one of Asean's most intractable challenges — the ongoing armed conflict in Myanmar. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's assertive diplomacy is redefining Asean's role, transforming the bloc from a passive consensus-based forum into a more active regional player capable of navigating complex crises, according to political observers. In just four months as Asean chair, Anwar has secured two major diplomatic breakthroughs in addressing long-standing regional crises – moves that have drawn praise from the international community. Former Indian Ambassador to Thailand Anil Wadhwa noted that Anwar's proactive approach is challenging Asean's longstanding principle of non-interference - necessary to address the ongoing crises and issues like human trafficking and scams. 'By doing so, Malaysia is restoring Asean relevance in addressing the Myanmar crisis and promoting human security in the region. Malaysia will do well to ride on its success in the Thai-Cambodia conflict and try the Asean mediation between the military regime and the NUG and other disparate groups,' Anil told Bernama from New Delhi. Anil, who served as India's envoy to Thailand from 2011 to 2014, underscored the urgency for Asean to develop a workable political framework to address Myanmar's multi-layered crisis — one that has defied solutions for decades. Anwar, however, broke the bitter diplomatic deadlock in mid-April. He met Myanmar's State Administration Council Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Bangkok and also consulted the National Unity Government (NUG) representatives to allow the flow of humanitarian aid into earthquake-hit regions — a rare moment of cooperation between the two rival entities. Most recently, Anwar hosted a high stakes meeting in Putrajaya between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, successfully defusing tensions along the two countries' shared border. The ceasefire, widely seen as a major Asean achievement, prevented a broader military escalation and ensured the safety of thousands of civilians. The 77-year-old leader's diplomatic masterstrokes brought the much-needed calm to the border communities on both sides and helped save thousands of lives. Otherwise, it could have turned into a costly military confrontation, destabilising the region. Still, Myanmar's situation presents a more complex challenge. The country's civil war involves some 20 ethnic armed groups, many of whom have been fighting for autonomy or independence since 1948. With over 135 recognised ethnic groups and competing visions of governance, the path to peace is steep. 'Asean needs leadership — and Anwar is providing that,' remarked Kavi Chongkittavorn, a senior fellow at Chulalongkorn University's Institute of Security and International Studies in Bangkok. 'He is making Asean more relevant under Malaysia's leadership, Timor-Leste is accepted into Asean, and to solve the Myanmar crisis, Asean needs the leadership too. 'Now Asean can engage superpowers, especially the US and China and others more effectively. Malaysia announced the new Vision 2045 that envisages the bloc as future-ready. Anwar is doing exactly that. It will take time to further rebrand Asean,' he told Bernama. He also highlighted the significance of the Thai-Cambodia ceasefire, calling it a milestone, especially since Thailand had previously rejected Asean mediation during similar border clashes in 2008 and 2011. While the world's focus shifted to the border tussle in recent days, Myanmar continues to grapple with its domestic predicaments from economic hardship, natural calamities, raging civil war in various states and internally displaced people. The military coup on February 1, 2021, has displaced at least three million people, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation 'The only way to solve the crisis in Myanmar is for the military government and the NUG constituents to come together to discuss power sharing, revenue sharing formula and open humanitarian corridors. The people of Myanmar need to be freed of their burden,' said Anil. The military government recently lifted its four-year-old state of emergency and has announced plans to hold national elections in December. Whether Asean, under Malaysia's leadership, can facilitate meaningful dialogue in Myanmar remains to be seen. But as Anwar continues to chart a more assertive course, political analysts agree: Asean may be inching closer to becoming a truly effective regional actor. — Bernama
