Dr Wee: Trade fairs help SMEs tap new markets and opportunities
KUALA LUMPUR: Trade exhibitions are playing an increasingly important role in supporting domestic trade, manufacturing and international business relations, while helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) tap into new markets, says MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
He said Malaysia’s resilient economic growth is creating more opportunities for SMEs, with trade exhibitions serving as a key platform for businesses to forge new partnerships and expand their reach.
“Trade exhibitions like the Malaysia Gifts Fair are vital engines of our economic growth.
“Today, Malaysia’s economic indicators show resilient upward momentum, driven by robust domestic trade, manufacturing and international trade relations,” he said in his speech at the opening of the 16th Malaysia Gifts Fair 2026 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday.
Also present were Tourism Malaysia deputy director-general Samuel Lee Thai Hung, Malaysian Gifts and Premium Association president Ivan Loo, and organising chairman Alex Chai.
Dr Wee said such exhibitions provided an unparalleled business-to-business platform that directly empowered SMEs, which he described as the backbone of Malaysia’s economy.
He said the Malaysia Gifts Fair generated more than RM50mil in trade transactions last year and was expected to attract more than 16,000 trade buyers and visitors during its three-day run this year.
Beyond facilitating business deals, Dr Wee said the event would also benefit the wider economy by supporting hotels, retail businesses and other service industries while strengthening Malaysia’s position as a regional business hub.
He pointed out that this year’s theme, “Redefining Sustainable Gifting for a Better Tomorrow”, was aligned with the country’s economic aspirations, adding that environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices had become an operational requirement rather than a marketing exercise.
According to him, businesses that adopted green supply chains, eco-certified packaging and circular economy models would be better positioned to remain competitive in the global market while ensuring long-term, sustainable growth.
He urged exhibitors, manufacturers, distributors and corporate buyers to use the exhibition to exchange knowledge, embrace sustainable business practices and build partnerships that would contribute to Malaysia’s economic development.
The Malaysia Gifts Fair, which began in 2009, has grown into one of the region’s largest gifting exhibitions and was recently recognised by Asia Records as the Largest Gifts and Premium Fair in Asia.
Organised by the Malaysian Gifts and Premium Association and endorsed by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, this year’s edition runs from until tomorrow.
The exhibition occupies four halls for the first time, featuring more than 400 booths and over 50,000 products across 10 categories, with exhibitors from Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, France and Uzbekistan.
