SHAH ALAM, Oct 1 – The Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) is planning to propose a twin-city cooperation with Wuxi in China, Muscat in Oman, and Makassar in Indonesia as part of efforts to expand local businesses' access to international markets.
The Star reported that Subang Jaya Mayor Dato’ Rumaizi Baharin Md Daud said the primary objective of these municipal partnerships is to help showcase local products and capabilities on the global stage.
Rumaizi, who formerly served as Ipoh’s mayor, added that the benefits of such ties are evident in the twin-city cooperation established in 1989 between Ipoh and Fukuoka, Japan.
“The twin-city cooperation has elevated Ipoh’s cultural profile globally, bringing recognition to Ipoh white coffee.
“It even ranked tenth on the list of the ‘39 Best Coffees in the World’ published by the culinary travel guide portal TasteAtlas in 2024,” he said during the MBSJ full board meeting at its headquarters yesterday.
Rumaizi noted that formal ties between local governments can also facilitate economic cooperation, alongside cultural and educational exchanges.
Partnering with Wuxi has the potential to help local industry players gain better access to the Chinese market, including through the support of local authorities.
“This could open up opportunities for Malaysian industry players to penetrate the Chinese market,” he said.
Muscat, as the capital of Oman, offers potential in the technology sector, in which Malaysia could provide product marketing, programming talent, and software solutions.
“Selangor also has existing offerings, such as the Selmax platform,” Rumaizi said.
Similarly, participation in the Islamic Smart City network also holds the potential to open up broader access to Middle Eastern markets, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait.
As for Makassar, the cooperation could focus on the health tourism and education sectors, given the growing trend of Indonesians seeking healthcare services in Malaysia.
