The Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) 2024 has officially kicked off today, marking the start of its first series with the Selangor ASEAN Business Conference (SABC) 2024 and the Selangor Investment & Industrial Park Expo (SPARK) 2024.
The 8th Selangor ASEAN Business Conference (SABC) 2024, themed “Selangor, the Key of ASEAN: Accelerating Prosperity through Strategic Connectivity and Resilience,” brings together prominent speakers, business leaders, trade associations, and public sector trade policy developers. The conference will focus on sharing insights and addressing key challenges faced by ASEAN countries, such as market access, regional economic integration, and entrepreneurship.
This year’s SABC 2024 spans over two days and features a total of 20 distinguished speakers from 10 countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, the EU, Brunei, Timor-Leste and Malaysia. The event is drawing a total of 500 attendees over the two days and is hosting 200 international delegates from 23 countries. The opening session, Panel 1: “Redefining ASEAN’s Trade Landscape: Insights into Emerging Global Partnerships,” was moderated by Jukhee Hong, Executive Director of ASEAN Business Advisory Council Malaysia (ASEAN-BAC Malaysia).
The panel included Mr. Chris Humphrey, Executive Director of EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC); Ms. Josephine Romero, Senior Adviser to ASEAN-BAC Philippines; YM Raja Badrulnizam Raja Kamalzaman, Senior Director at Malaysia External Trade Development Corp (MATRADE); and Kelvin Kee, Executive Director of International Business at Singapore Business Federation (SBF).
Following lunch, Panel 2: “Selangor, Gateway to ASEAN: Shaping the Regional Economic Landscape” will be moderated by Yuki Aizawa, APAC Director & Malaysia Country Director of Women in Tech Global Movement. Panellists for this session include Saipolyazan M Yusop, Group CEO of Menteri Besar Selangor (Incorporated) (MBI Selangor); Leo Chen, Executive Vice President of Chery Malaysia; and Koay Tze Siang, Managing Director of Dell Technologies Malaysia.
SABC 2024 will conclude its first day with a session titled In Conversation with Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability of Malaysia and will be moderated by Dato’ Johary Anuar, Selangor Deputy State Secretary (Development) cum Director of the State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN).
The discussion will focus on Investment and Sustainable Development in Malaysia and also highlighted the government’s commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2020, increasing renewable energy capacity and fostering green industries through various initiatives.
The second day will feature two sessions. The first session, a Special Dialogue titled “Malaysia’s Leading Investment Destinations: Leveraging Local Strengths for Regional Prosperity,” will feature Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, Chief Minister of Selangor and Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Pulau Pinang, discussing the potential and key investment opportunities in their states.
The second session of the day, Panel Session 3, will explore “ESG & SDG Convergence in ASEAN: Zero Carbon Strategies and Socio-Economic Investment Dynamics.” This session will be moderated by Amir Isyam Abdul Rahim, Managing Director of IM Possible Solutions; and will feature speakers Dr. Renard Siew, Group Head of Corporate Sustainability at Yinson; Kiu Jia Yaw, CoChair of Malaysian CSO-SDG Alliance; and Huynh Cong Thang, Co-Founder & CEO of Innovation Lab Company Limited (InnoLab Asia).
For the first time, SABC will also include pitching presentations from six ASEAN member countries—Vietnam, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia, and the Philippines, along with Timor-Leste—showcasing their countries and potential investment opportunities.
SABC 2024 also introduces a mini showcase called Industri Kreatif ASEAN (IKA) showcasing arts and craft of ASEAN members countries, featuring the works from Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and also Malaysia.
SPARK 2024
Running concurrently, the 4th Selangor Investment & Industrial Park Expo (SPARK) 2024 features key industrial park ecosystem players and suppliers from Malaysia and from the region. The expo sees participation from industrial park ecosystems across most ASEAN member states, reaffirming its status as the region’s only one-stop investment and industrial park expo.
Major industrial park developers and operators such as PKNS, NCT, EcoWorld, Sime Darby, Central Spectrum, and Compass are returning to SPARK 2024. State governments from Pahang, Sabah, Kelantan, Melaka, Perak, Kedah, Sarawak, Terengganu, and Selangor are also participating, along with other stakeholders in the industrial park ecosystem, including MIDA, MRL, NCIA, ECERDC, RECODA, Plan Malaysia, North Port, and PKT Logistics.
Additionally, Invest Selangor will conduct its Selangor Investors Sessions clinic within SPARK 2024 throughout the expo’s three days. Here, investors and manufacturers can meet with participating local authorities and technical agencies in a one-stop format to address any queries.
Other parallel programs in the expo include MIDA Invest Series: Selangor Edition and other panel and pitching sessions.
According to Dato’ Hasan Azhari Idris, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Selangor, “This SIBS First Edition that features 2 investment focus events represents a unique opportunity for us to come together, to exchange ideas, and explore new avenues for collaboration and growth. As we navigate an ever-evolving global landscape, our commitment to partnership and innovation will be key to our success.
“We are happy to see the full participation and support from MIDA and all major states in Malaysia in SPARK as well as huge turnout in SABC, stamping SIBS as one of a major event in the region,” he said.
Invest Selangor Berhad (ISB) is the state government agency responsible for promoting and facilitating investment in Selangor, Malaysia. With its commitment to providing investors with the ease of doing business, ISB ensures investors have a hassle-free investment journey. The agency offers a comprehensive suite of services, including site selection assistance, investment facilitation, and aftercare services.
