Malaysia and Indonesia expressed their commitment to have continuous deliberations concerning trade and investment to narrow the development gap and boost trade numbers among both countries.
Minister of International Trade and Industry Malaysia YB Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed said this after chairing the third Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) meeting with his Indonesian counterpart His Excellency Drs. Enggartiasto Lukita at a hotel in Kuching on 13 July, 2017.
He highlighted the normalization of trade in the Tebedu-Entikong border, where both parties have agreed to review issues and challenges regarding the matter before presenting them to their respective heads of state – Prime Minister Datuk Patinggi Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak for Malaysia and President Joko Widodo for Indonesia.
Dato’ Sri Mustapa hoped that the issue can be resolved and lead to socio-economic development in Sarawak, particularly for locals living in Tebedu.
He also noted the importance of JTIC as a platform to strengthen trade and investment ties between Malaysia and Indonesia, namely forging closer bilateral ties and supporting ASEAN’s commitment in promoting closer economic integration within Southeast Asia.
Other issues discussed during the meeting included recognition of Malaysia’s halal logo by Indonesian authority; cooperation in Intellectual Property (IP) issues; standards and recognition; and cooperation and collaboration on issues related to palm oil products.
Apart from the meeting, both ministers and their delegates took the opportunity to visit Tebedu-Entikong border to oversee the latest development in the area.
