KUALA LUMPUR: The Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) 6.15% dividend declaration reflects Malaysia’s stable and healthy economic trajectory, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He noted that the EPF has delivered returns above 6% for two consecutive years, which he said underscores the strength of the economy.
"This should send a positive signal to the market," he said during the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (MCCC) Chinese New Year celebration on Saturday (Feb 28).
Loke added that recent economic indicators had also been encouraging. Malaysia’s exports in Jan grew by 19.6% year-on-year, pushing total trade past RM200bil.
Exports to China reached RM15.5bil in Jan, up 16% from a year earlier. However, imports from China also rose sharply to about RM33bil, an increase of 38%.
"In this regard, Malaysian companies still have significant room to expand our exports to China," he said, urging businesses to step up efforts to penetrate the Chinese market.
He said Malaysia-China economic cooperation continues to offer vast opportunities and called on the business community to work closely with the government.
On tourism, Loke said Malaysia recorded a strong performance last year, with 4.66 million visitors from China.
"We are very confident that, with Visit Malaysia Year, arrivals from China will exceed five million this year. This is both a challenge and an opportunity for the tourism industry," he said.
He noted that tourism growth would benefit many sectors but acknowledged that rising passenger numbers have led to congestion at several airports.
These include KL International Airport, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Johor Baru.
Loke said the government is committed to upgrading airport infrastructure to cope with the surge in demand.
He pointed out that expansion works at Penang International Airport have already begun, with capacity set to increase from 6.5 million to 12 million passengers annually.
"Whether in trade or tourism, we must continue to work harder. The strong Malaysia-China relationship brings many opportunities for our economy," he said.
Loke added that in the coming year, the government will focus strongly on economic growth and people’s livelihoods.
