MCMTC was honoured to attend the Industry Stakeholder Consultation on Free Trade Agreement (FTA) held by MITI on 2nd September 2025. MCMTC were represented by our honorary president Mr Callum Chen and Vice President Ms Lee Pang.
The consultation provided a platform to exchange views on opportunities, market access, regulatory cooperation and challenges related to FTAs, with discussions focusing on:
- New FTAs with the EU, Bahrain, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka
- Reviews of existing FTAs: MAFTA (Australia), MNZFTA (New Zealand), and MICECA (India)
During the session, Mr Callum brought out the importance of mutual recognition between different FTAs, BIS and SIRIM as it reduces duplicate testing and certification, lowers compliance costs and ensures easier market access for Malaysian exporters. Some countries are also using these certifications as non-trade barriers for our exporters to their countries. MITI reaffirmed its commitment to work closely with SIRIM and the related parties to strengthen mutual recognition frameworks across FTAs.
Mr Callum Chen also raised the issue of the Certificate of Origin (COO), suggesting that the process could be made more efficient and automated. In response, MITI shared that under future FTAs, there is a possibility that a COO may no longer be required, as exporters would need to comply with the rules of origin.
MCMTC appreciates MITI’s continuous engagement with industry stakeholders. We appreciate the opportunity to be a part of the process that shape trade policies for Malaysia, whose economy is heavily oriented towards trade and investment. MCMTC members are nation builders, and we believe that the private sector should always work hand-in-hand with the public sector for meaningful, sustainable growth.
