Malaysia Boosts African Trade Ambitions With Strategic Visit
The Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani recently led a high-level Malaysian government delegation to Pacific Inter-Link Sdn Bhd's (PIL) regional hub, Golden Africa Kenya Limited (GAKL), to deepen Malaysia's economic ties with Africa.
Established in 2012, GAKL has grown into a vital operational base for PIL's African expansion, with a focus on palm oil and essential consumer products. The facility stands as a testament to the company's long-term investment strategy and its role in supporting industrial development and regional trade.
The delegation's presence highlighted the importance of public–private partnerships in fostering sustainable economic growth and cooperation between Malaysia and African markets.
Malaysia-Africa bilateral trade continues to gain momentum, recording nearly RM24 billion in total trade value in 2023. Malaysia's key exports — palm oil, petroleum products and electronics — are increasingly sought after across African markets, while imports from the continent include key commodities such as minerals and agricultural goods.
Joining the ministerial delegation were His Excellency Ruzaimi Mohamad, Malaysian High Commissioner to Kenya, and other senior government representatives. The visit provided an opportunity to witness firsthand the socio-economic impact of Malaysian investments in Africa, including job creation, knowledge transfer, and value-added manufacturing.
The Malaysian delegation's visit also reflects a broader strategy to elevate Malaysia's trade footprint in Africa and capitalise on the continent's emerging market potential. With its established presence, PIL is well-positioned to catalyse expanding Malaysian exports and foster industrial partnerships across the region.
As Malaysia continues to engage African markets, PIL stands at the forefront of that journey, bridging continents through commerce, sustainability and shared prosperity. Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hype Malaysia
26 minutes ago
- Hype Malaysia
Malaysian Skincare Brand The Mineraw Is Back On The Market & Fans Are Stoked!
Get ready for skin you want to be in! After a brief pause, Malaysian skincare brand The Mineraw has made its highly-anticipated return, relaunching with a fresh perspective on minimalist beauty during an intimate event at Up & Away, Petaling Street. Attended by over 70 guests — including local media, content creators, influencers, and brand partners — the LIFTED event marked the rebirth of a beloved clean beauty label originally founded in 2018. Now under new leadership by CEO Brandon Porle and CCO Samantha Yap, The Mineraw offers minimalist, fuss-free personal care products but with a renewed focus on community, accessibility, and conscious self-care for all. 'Skincare shouldn't be a science experiment,' shared Porle in his welcome remarks. 'It should be simple. Possible. And make you feel like yourself again.' Porle noted that after The Mineraw initially closed, a wave of loyal customers wrote in, asking for the brand's return — a moment that affirmed the deep connection people had to its philosophy. The brand's return was apparently inevitable! Relaunch Products The Glow Serum Face Oil – RM120 (30ml) A deeply nourishing oil-based serum designed for all skin types, including acne-prone skin. Powered by Rosehip Oil, Tea Tree, Jojoba, and Vitamin E, it helps soothe inflammation and support the skin barrier — delivering a long-lasting, dewy glow. The Toner Balance – RM65 (100ml) A balancing facial toner that regulates oil production, evens tone, and tightens pores. Made with Apple Cider Vinegar, Witch Hazel, and Rose Water, the formula is fragrance-free, essential oil-free, and gentle enough for even the most sensitive skin. The Mineraw Gua Sha Stone – RM80 A modern take on an ancient ritual. Made from natural jade, The Mineraw Gua Sha is a daily ritual tool that supports depuffing, circulation, and a lifted glow, all in a few intentional strokes. The Mineraw's relaunch products are now available exclusively at What's your Reaction? +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Queues at VEP application centres in Singapore, Johor Baru after news of enforcement from July 1
SINGAPORE/JOHOR BARU: Waves of Singapore motorists showed up at Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) application and installation centres in Singapore and Johor Baru a day after Malaysia announced that enforcement of the VEP will start on July 1. Singapore-registered vehicles entering the country from that date without a valid VEP will be fined RM300 (S$91), Malaysia's Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Wednesday (June 4). The drivers will have to pay the fine and complete their VEP registration before leaving Malaysia. On Thursday (June 5), motorists showed up at VEP centres in Woodlands in Singapore and Danga Bay in Johor Baru because they needed help with signing up on the online portal or had problems activating their radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. VEP-registered vehicles need to have RFID tags installed and activated in order to make payments for Malaysian expressway tolls and the road charge when entering Johor via the two land checkpoints. Singapore-registered vehicles entering the country from July 1 without a valid VEP will be fined RM300. - Photo: ST The counters in Malaysia are operated by TCSens, Malaysia's ministry-appointed vendor for handling VEP registrations; while the one in Singapore is run by My VEP, a separate company, in collaboration with TCSens. Between 9.30am and 10.30am, around 40 people were seen queueing outside the My VEP office in Woodlands Industrial Park. They include motorists collecting their VEP RFID tags and those needing help with applications. Those without appointment slots were turned away. Around lunchtime at the TCSens inquiry centre in Danga Bay, more than 60 motorists were seen queueing to seek assistance from staff to troubleshoot their VEP registrations. The centre allows walk-in inquiries. Latiff Saleh, 64, who did not have an appointment, left the Woodlands centre in Singapore without getting any assistance. He needed help to terminate the existing VEP registration of his car, which was tagged to its previous owner, as he was not able to do so online. On hearing the June 4 announcement, he tried to log in to the VEP portal to restart the application process, but faced difficulties. He had not decided whether to try his luck at Danga Bay soon, or wait for the rush in Woodlands to subside before getting an appointment. Inquiries had been decreasing prior to the June 4 announcement, and appointment slots had been available daily since March, said Ng Poh Heng, manager of My VEP. But by the morning of June 5, all the slots until June 20 had been taken up, checks by The Straits Times found. Esther Chua, 50, received her VEP RFID tag earlier in 2025, but found that it could not be fitted to her car as required. The finance executive did not get around to exchanging the tag until after hearing the latest news. 'The Malaysian side seems to keep changing their mind, so I didn't feel the need to get it fixed (so soon),' she said at Woodlands on June 5. The latest move to enforce the VEP comes eight years after the plan was first mooted in 2017. Its implementation was shelved twice, in 2019 and again in 2020. It was rolled out in October 2024, but foreign vehicles found without valid VEPs were given reminders to get registered and not fined. At the Danga Bay inquiry centre on June 5, waiting times were long, with motorists saying they began queueing from as early as 6am for the counter to open at 9am. One of the motorists, a 76-year-old Singaporean retiree who wanted to be known only as Chong, said that his VEP application was rejected in October 2024 because it was missing insurance documents. He said he never heard back after he replied with the documents. 'Suddenly, they said they are going to enforce (the requirement) this July. This is very troublesome,' he said, adding that the announcement on June 4 caught him by surprise. Singaporean interior designer Andrew Ho, 44, who arrived in Danga Bay at 9am, waited five hours to get help from TCSens staff. His VEP RFID tag could not be read at the Malaysian customs gantry. A TCSens staff member at Danga Bay told ST that by 2.30pm, he had already assisted more than 100 motorists, compared with the daily number of 130 cars that the centre had handled in the past few months. Loke told reporters on June 4 that foreign-registered private vehicles have had ample time to be VEP-registered since the call to do so was made in May 2024. The minister added that 231,018 Singapore-registered private individually owned vehicles have signed up for the VEP, with 15 per cent yet to activate the RFID tags. Meanwhile, skip-the-queue VEP services in Singapore are seeing an uptick in inquiries. These services apply for the VEP on the motorists' behalf, saving drivers the hassle of making the online application or queueing at the counters. Derrick Heng, director of Radiant VEP, which offers skip-the-queue services, said inquiries have spiked since the latest announcement, after getting around 10 queries daily from the beginning of 2025. 'We received about 30 inquiries on June 4, and our office (in Kaki Bukit) was full, with motorists coming in to apply for the permits at the last minute,' he said. Jason Koay, director of accounting and secretarial firm Bizwise Management, which advertises its VEP application assistance service on Carousell, said he helped with 50 applications on June 5, up from a norm of two to three inquiries a day since March. A TCSens spokesman urged Singaporean motorists to register promptly for the VEP via the website, as it is anticipating a surge in applications and appointments at its four centres in Johor Bahru and Singapore. 'Motorists must ensure that the VEP RFID tags are securely fixed on their vehicles and activated for use once they have received them,' he added. - The Straits Times/ANN
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Viral tariff schedule is fake, says TNB
TNB has clarified that it did not issue a widely circulated electricity tariff schedule that bears its logo and claims a tariff hike. (TNB pic) PETALING JAYA : Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has dismissed a widely circulated electricity tariff schedule on WhatsApp as fake, urging the public not to fall for any misinformation. In a statement today, TNB clarified that the schedule, which bears the TNB logo and claims of a tariff hike, is fake and was not issued by the company. 'The false schedule misleadingly suggests a tariff increase that features the TNB logo,' it said. 'The circulation of such false information is creating unnecessary confusion among customers.' TNB stressed that as of today, no official announcement has been made regarding any changes to electricity tariffs affecting consumers. The company also reminded the public to be responsible with the content they share online. 'We strongly advise the public to avoid sharing unverified information,' it said. For accurate and updated information, TNB urged consumers to refer only to official government and TNB platforms for any updates on electricity tariffs. Last December, TNB proposed a new tariff schedule with a base tariff of 45.62 sen per kilowatt-hour for Peninsular Malaysia under Regulatory Period 4 (RP4), for implementation from July 1, 2025. The base tariff under RP3 had been set at 39.95 sen/kWh between 2022 and 2024. Deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof then said no decision had been made on the new tariff as the government was still finalising the matter. Fadillah is also the energy transition and water transformation minister.
