BANDUNG, July 11 — The inaugural Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS)@ASEAN held in Bandung, Indonesia has opened new business opportunities for local exhibitors, particularly from the healthcare and education sectors, with participants reporting strong interest from Indonesian partners and prospective customers.
A key contributor to this momentum was the Selangor Medical Tourism and Education Expo, one of the summit’s main highlights jointly organised by Tourism Selangor and Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS), featuring 30 booths showcasing Malaysian healthcare providers and education institutions.
Speaking to Media Selangor, exhibitors from both the public and private sectors said the event had helped them forge new connections, explore potential collaborations and strengthen their presence in the Indonesian market.
Selgate Specialist Hospital (SSH) Rawang marketing and communications assistant manager Elmy Iskandar Abdul Rahman said the expo enabled the company to introduce its medical services to a wider Indonesian audience.
"We see strong potential to attract more international patients to seek treatment in Malaysia. Through this initiative, we are here to promote our hospital to the Indonesian market,” he said when met at the summit.
Among the services showcased by the hospital at SIBS@ASEAN were its orthopaedic and bariatric care, as well as its comprehensive specialist healthcare offerings.
Elmy said SSH Rawang has been receiving an encouraging response since its opening last year, with many Indonesian patients returning for follow-up treatment.
He said the hospital plans to expand its promotional efforts to other Indonesian cities, including Makassar and Batam.
"We are open to the entire Indonesian market. Many Indonesians already come to Malaysia for treatment, so this is the right platform to further promote our hospital.”
The two-day SIBS@ASEAN 2026, held on July 9 and 10, was organised by Invest Selangor Bhd, with support from West Java’s Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Department (DPMPTSP) and other regional partners.
This is the first time SIBS was held outside Malaysia.
For MSU Medical Centre senior manager (engagement) Norazril Shamsul Abu Hassan, the summit has helped raise awareness of its brand while creating new business leads with Indonesian medical tourism stakeholders.
He said the hospital had already established promising connections with medical concierge providers and travel agencies interested in referring Indonesians patients to Malaysia during the event.
"Our main objective is to increase awareness of MSU Medical Centre among the Bandung community and introduce our healthcare services, including medical check-ups and specialist centres such as orthopaedics, gastroenterology, cardiology, women's health and urology.
Growing interests
Universiti Selangor (UNISEL) International Department director Assoc Prof Hashimah Ismail said the expo has proven beneficial, with the higher education institution receiving numerous enquiries from visitors interested in its postgraduate and academic programmes.
She said this showed growing interest among Indonesians in pursuing higher education in Selangor.
“Besides promoting our academic programmes, the exhibition allowed us to engage directly with prospective students and institutional partners. We hope these initial conversations will lead to future collaborations and student enrolments.
“Many visitors stopped by our booth to learn more about UNISEL's postgraduate programmes. The response shows there is genuine interest in pursuing higher education opportunities in Selangor.”
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s Bank BJB institution relationship officer Sindy Irsalini described the summit as an opportunity to expand financial inclusion and explore new business partnerships in the healthcare and education sectors.
She added that the bank sees opportunities to support hospital and educational institutions through financing facilities and integrated banking systems involving Malaysian and Indonesian organisations.
"The business potential is significant, from opening individual bank accounts to supporting financing for institutions and customers beyond Indonesia," she said.
