NOVEMBER 10 — When Malaysia established official diplomatic ties with China in 1974, it was the first Southeast Asian country to do so. This pragmatic move by our then Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, demonstrated the forward stance of Malaysia, positioning the nation to be China’s biggest trading partner in Southeast Asia today, while China is now Malaysia’s largest trading partner globally.

Investment flows to and from China, the world’s largest economy, lies increasingly at the heart of growth strategies for both local enterprises and established multinational companies with international aspirations. The diversity of commercial and legal landscapes between Malaysia and China are immense and require cautious navigation to ensure Malaysia remains the most attractive commercial hub in the region.

The brave step made by the late Tun Abdul Razak in bridging borders with China, despite ideological differences, is observed closely by our current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who elevated ties with China, evident when China’s President Xi Jinping visited Malaysia in less than a year after he assumed office. The rich Chinese culture preserved in Malaysia and the respect for the Chinese language usage in Malaysia have indubitably attracted the Chinese to invest in Malaysia.

Being the world’s most widely spoken language, the Chinese language is notably important as our Prime Minister proudly sent his son to study the Chinese language in Beijing. Nusajaya, a development project initiated by our Prime Minister, for example, is a success story that leveraged, amongst others, on Chinese investors. The welcoming attitude in bridging borders with China has positioned Malaysia as a strong economy in Southeast Asia.

The harmonious inclusiveness of the Chinese ethnic in the multi-racial community and the warm embrace of the various faiths in the multi-cultural society has also demonstrated the democratic ideologies that Malaysia upholds as a proud Commonwealth nation. These are the elements that set Malaysia a notch above other nations in the region, positioning Malaysia as an attractive legal and commercial hub in Southeast Asia. This affirmative attitude in embracing plurality within Malaysia has given Malaysia what it takes to be truly international.

Assets of a nation are not limited to natural resources and scarce land. Human capital, if used wisely, could be a more vital asset. Malaysian Chinese could be utilised as a bridge to foster closer ties with China and our Malaysian Chinese traders could act as ambassadors, witnessing the colourful Malaysia to the Chinese over trade visits or such, bringing in more Chinese tourists and investors.

Many law firms in the region have already set up a Chinese practice division to capture the growing number of Chinese individuals and commercial investors. Malaysia, under the pragmatic leadership of our Prime Minister, certainly has much more to offer. It is perhaps time to, not only embrace, but promote plurality in Malaysia, ensuring that Malaysia remains the most attractive commercial hub in Southeast Asia.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.