Twin-city ties with Wuxi in China, Muscat in Oman and Makassar in Indonesia will be proposed by Subang Jaya mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin in a bid to open international economic channels for local businesses.
Rumaizi, who is the former Ipoh mayor, said the main objective behind forming such municipal partnerships was global marketing.
To illustrate the benefits, he cited the twin-sister bond established between Ipoh, Perak, and Fukuoka, Japan, in 1989.
“The twin-city bond with Fukuoka elevated Ipoh’s global cultural profile, eventually leading to Ipoh white coffee becoming famous.
Rumaizi said formal diplomatic agreements between local governments to promote cultural and educational exchange served as an ideal channel for economic trade.
“If an independent business entity approaches Wuxi through a recommendation from the mayor of Wuxi, obtaining approval will be far easier than going in without prior connections.
“This can provide opportunities for Malaysian companies to enter the China market.”
He highlighted a similar potential with Oman’s capital Muscat, particularly in technology export.
“If we get involved in this network, it gives us direct access to the market, especially for technology.
“Malaysian companies could market their products, programmers and software solutions there.
“Selangor also has established offerings including the Selmax platform.”
Rumaizi added that participating in an Islamic Smart City network would provide local tech players with better access to broader markets across the Middle East including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait.
As for Makassar, a port city in Indonesia’s Sulawesi, he said the focus would centre on medical tourism and education.
“Previously, people from that region would flock to Singapore for medical treatment.
“However, thanks to our competitive exchange rate, more Indonesians are choosing Malaysia for healthcare,” he said.
On a separate matter, MBSJ recorded 3,578 confirmed dengue cases up to epidemiological week 37 of 2026, a 33.61% increase from the 2,678 cases logged during the corresponding period in 2025.
Nine hotspot localities were identified during the week.
MBSJ Health Department director Dr Nurnawwar Arpaaii said RM96,000 have been set aside across 24 zones for vector control and prevention with unutilised funds carried forward to the following year.
Residents are urged to eliminate potential Aedes mosquito breeding grounds through community clean-up activities.
