IMPROVEMENTS TO GUIDELINES FOR FOREIGN PARTICIPATION IN TRADE INCORPORATE BEST PRACTICES

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3  (Bernama) -- Ongoing efforts to enhance the Guidelines for Foreign Participation in Malaysia’s Distributive Trade Sector will incorporate stakeholder input and global best practices.

Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, said the move is crucial to ensure policies remain relevant, competitive, and impactful, while safeguarding the sustainability of local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

He added that the Cabinet, on Feb 6, approved the establishment of a Special Task Force led by the Ministry of Finance to outline specific improvement measures.

“The committee’s role is to identify enhancements in policies, legal frameworks, monitoring, and enforcement to address concerns over the risk of foreign goods being dumped in the local market,” he said when winding up the debate on behalf of the ministry on the motion of thanks for the Royal Address at the Dewan Negara today.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Works Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said that the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the East Coast Expressway Phase 3 (LPT3) project will be finalised this year, with the project to proceed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) via competitive bidding, without requiring government funding.

Initial studies indicate the LPT3 will span 122 kilometres, connecting Kampung Gemuroh in Terengganu to Tunjong in Kelantan and will complement the existing LPT1 and LPT2 networks, offering smoother and more convenient travel along the East Coast.

Meanwhile, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib highlighted that 412 health clinics nationwide are now equipped with the Clinical Management System (CCMS) cloud computing system, enhancing the management of patients’ digital medical records.

“This year, we aim to digitalise 137 more clinics, with full implementation across the remaining 848 clinics targeted by the end of 2027. The initiative is designed to improve operational efficiency, strengthen data governance, and reduce reliance on manual record-keeping,” she said.

The system rollout, which began in 2024, forms part of a broader Digital Medical Record (EMR) integration plan.

In workforce development, Deputy Human Resources Minister Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan said the ministry is reviewing a proposal to fully digitalise the foreign worker application process, in line with the 13th Malaysia Plan’s target of reducing foreign workers to 10 per cent by 2030 and five per cent by 2035. Stakeholder engagement will continue to balance industry needs with the protection of the local workforce.

The Ministry of Defence also participated in the debate today, while the Dewan Negara session is scheduled to continue tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA