Fireside discussion highlights Malaysia’s investment outlook and ASEAN Chairmanship vision for 2025

Washington, D.C., 18 June 2025 – The US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) hosted a fireside chat with His Excellency Tengku Zafrul bin Tengku Abdul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, at the Embassy of Malaysia in Washington, D.C. The event offered a timely platform for U.S. business leaders to hear directly from the Minister following his official engagements with the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Department of Commerce earlier the same day.

Minister Zafrul was joined by senior officials from the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), along with representatives from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). The fireside chat was moderated by Mr. Marc Mealy, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at USABC.

In his remarks, Minister Zafrul outlined Malaysia’s current trade and investment priorities, reaffirming the country’s commitment to strengthening bilateral economic ties with the United States. He shared insights on Malaysia’s strategic engagements aimed at sustaining mutual investment flows, enhancing trade frameworks, and positioning Malaysia as a key partner in the evolving global supply chain.

Following the discussion, the Council soft-launched its latest White Paper, “Driving ASEAN Unity: Malaysia’s Vision for 2025”, providing Minister Zafrul with an executive summary of its key recommendations. The report identifies five priority areas critical to Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025: digital economy, talent acquisition, healthcare innovation, environmental sustainability, and energy transition. The full paper is set to be officially launched at a forthcoming event in Kuala Lumpur.

The event concluded with an open Q&A session, during which U.S. private sector representatives had the opportunity to raise questions and share perspectives on future cooperation with Malaysia.

Source: US-ASEAN Business Council