KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Malaysia’s participation in the upcoming Expo 2020 Dubai will help to attract investments into the country, said Mohd Nor Azman Hassan, deputy commissioner-general of Malaysia for Expo 2020 Dubai.

He said the government targets to achieve a higher potential investment value through the event, supported by participation from 200 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), an expected 20 memoranda of understanding and 1,000 business delegations throughout the 26-week long expo.

The event was initially scheduled to start from October 20 this year, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the event organiser announced that it would be held from October 1,2021 to March 31, 2022 instead.

In an interview on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme on Monday, Mohd Nor Azman, who is also the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry’s (Mosti) deputy secretary-general, said Malaysia also aims to strengthen its investment relations with countries such as Japan.

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He added that the ministry is also working with various ministries, especially the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry to get a clearer picture on the opportunities which would be made available throughout Malaysia’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.

Mohd Nor Azman said 10 industrial sectors have been identified to be highlighted during the event, including education, technopreneurship, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing.

He also said participating companies will also be eligible for the Data Development Grant, while corporate tax deductions for sponsoring companies to take part in the expo will also be maintained.

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“We encourage SMEs to take part in the expo, as we have space for 200 companies to participate in the the Malaysian Pavilion, and there are still some slots available,” he said, adding that the process to identify companies which have the potential to take participate in the event has already begun. — Bernama