PETALING JAYA: The success of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's recent official trip to China was because of meticulous preparations by civil servants who worked as a team and showcased the ease of doing business in Malaysia amid political stability.
Anwar acknowledged all the government departments and agencies that put great effort into the trip at April's monthly meeting with Prime Minister’s Office staff in Putrajaya on Monday (April 3).
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He said he was not only welcomed warmly by China's President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang but also managed to hold discussions on sensitive issues such as the Rohingya refugees.
He also said that the civil servants' hard work yielded much fruit as he was informed by many giant companies that they were interested in making Malaysia their respective regional hub.
“The preparations for my trip were very good. It was a successful visit to China, thanks to the team that worked with other government departments.
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"It was important for us to show the ease of doing business amid political stability.
“In China, President Xi and Prime Minister Li not only gave me a warm welcome but the discussions with them were held in a very respectful manner from both sides.
"During the Chinese initiatives on development, security and (society), they also mentioned Madani, my Asian Renaissance book and my fondness for Confucius.
“I realise (the success) was not mine alone but thanks to the civil servants who organised everything with (involvement) of 50 giant companies. I am grateful for the teamwork,” he said.
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Anwar added that if civil servants continue to portray a united image, those large companies that expressed interest in setting up regional hubs here would certainly be convinced.
"I also mentioned to the companies that there should be more upskilling and employment of local workers, as they (Chinese companies) tend to bring their own workers. These companies come in with investments worth tens of billions of ringgit,” said Anwar.
During his private talks with China’s leaders, he raised the issue of the plight of Rohingya refugees who could not be sent back to Myanmar.
“China has strong ties with Myanmar. I explained that I respect their stand but we have more than 200,000 Rohingya refugees in Malaysia.
"We cannot send them back as they will not be accepted by the Myanmar junta which has abused them.What do we do? I stated Malaysia's stand.
“Also, during my trip to China and also Cambodia, I managed to meet and pray with thousands of Muslims there. It was an opportunity I could not turn down although I do not usually like to travel during Ramadan,” the Prime Minister added.
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He also called on civil servants to hold religious classes during lunch breaks to not only read the Quran but also to understand its content.
“The month of Ramadan is... a spiritual journey and learning process. In addition to (reading the Quran) we should make it our guide, to know what is right from wrong,” said Anwar.
Anwar had just returned from China after a four-day official visit from March 30 to April 1, accompanied by a trade delegation of about 200.
The Prime Minister's official visit also saw Malaysia securing a record RM170bil worth of investment commitments from China.
The amount, the biggest so far from China, is from a total of 19 memorandums of understanding in various fields, especially green technology and the digital economy.
