ENVOY IN BERLIN TO GIVE “STRONG IMPETUS” TO M'SIA-GERMAN TIES BY ENHANCING BILATERAL

By Manik Mehta

FRANKFURT, July 20 (Bernama) -- Bilateral relations between Malaysia and
Germany, no matter how good, tend to lose the momentum if not supplemented by
active contacts and interaction between leading political, industrial and other
personalities from both sides.

Such a pro-active approach provides a “strong impetus” to fostering closer
ties between the two nations.

This is the motive behind the pro-active interest of Malaysian ambassador to
Germany Zakaria Sulong who wants to take bilateral relations to the
“next level”.

The envoy is very keen to get the German Chancellor – this will, obviously,
be after the German elections slated for Sept 27 – to visit Malaysia.

“We would very much like to invite the German Chancellor after the Sept
27 elections to visit Malaysia. We would also like to welcome the German
President to Malaysia,” Zakaria said in an interview with Bernama in Frankfurt.

“While relations between the two sides are good, we would like to see them
taken to a higher level. Contacts and interaction between the key political and
industry figures will give a strong impetus to our relations,” Zakaria argued.

Describing the German Chancellor’s visit as “very important” and overdue –
under the unwritten norms of international protocol, it is now the German
Chancellor’s turn to visit Malaysia after former Malaysian Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi visited Germany two years ago.

The ambassador recalled that Germany was among the first 24 countries to
recognise Malaysia as an independent state in 1957.

“The German perception then was that Malaysia, although a small
fledgling independent state, merited diplomatic recognition because of its
potential as an important player in Southeast Asia,” Zakaria explained.

Malaysia’s top diplomat in Germany, who everybody agrees enjoys considerable
popularity in German trade and industry circles, identified higher education for
Malaysian students in Germany as a “priority area” that could benefit Malaysia’s
industry immensely.

“Germany offers study courses in highly specialised technical subjects such
as automobile engineering. Of course, other countries also offer engineering
course but German universities have excellent and highly specialised engineering
subjects.

"We are, therefore, encouraging Malaysian students to study German so
that they fit in well within the German academic system,” Zakaria asserted.

Germany’s significance for Malaysia can also be gauged in another front:
Germany is Malaysia’s biggest export market in Europe. “Besides being the
biggest trading partner in Europe, Germany is also for Malaysia the largest
source of investment in Europe,” he maintained.

The envoy pointed out that because of Germany’s importance, the MATRADE
office in Frankfurt has been upgraded as a regional office whose new director,
Mohamad Sabri, recently arrived to replace Rajul Badrulnizam who has been
transferred to head the Matrade’s London office.

Zakaria has also been urging Malaysia’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
to increase their contacts with German SMEs. “Such contacts could facilitate
transfer of technology, besides increasing trade and investments,” he said.

Another very important -- and for Malaysia, unique – vehicle for
intensifying bilateral relations is to promote the sister-city partnership
between Malaysian and German cities.

A number of German cities have maintained this tradition of sister-city
partnership with a number of foreign cities.

Zakaria revealed that he had received feelers from the city of Karlsruhe in
the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg (BW) expressing interest in having a sister-city
partnership with a Malaysian city.

Since BW is considered to be the “cradle of
high technology”, a partnership with Karlsruhe could open up avenues of business
opportunities for Malaysia’s industry, notably the SMEs.

“Baden-Wuerttemberg has a strong industrial base and is home to corporate
heavyweights such as Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, etc. and many leading hi-tech
companies. Putra Jaya could be a strong contender as a sister city for
Karlsruhe,” the ambassador added.

Zakaria has also been telling German industries that while both India and
China are very interesting partners for business and attract heavy investment
inflow, the German industry should not ignore the 500 million consumer strong
Asean region, of which Malaysia is a leading player.

Indeed, he pointed out that according to a Deutsche Bank study last year,
Malaysia would outgrow India particularly in the outsourcing field.

“Malaysia offers unique advantages of high quality products and services, a
well-developed infrastructure, efficient and well-trained workforce,
business-friendly environment, intellectual property rights protection and etc,”
he said.

“The German industry is very much interested in the Asean region. Remember,
Germany welcomed the Asean Charter of November 2007 in Singapore, which
envisages Asean as a single economic entity which appeals to the German
industry,” Zakaria said.

Meanwhile, preparations are afoot for organising a mammoth Asia-Pacific
conference of the German industry in Singapore in May 2010.

The German economics minister is likely to attend the event and ministers of
trade and industry from the 10 Asean countries are also expected to be invited.

“The event will provide a good platform for intensifying contacts,” Zakaria
averred.

-- BERNAMA