Chinese investors boost growth in Malaysia

Mazlim Husin, chief commercial officer of Kuantan Port, has personally seen how Chinese investments have transformed Kuantan — the capital city of the state of Pahang, which is located on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

For Mazlim, the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park, or MCKIP, has "changed the landscape of the whole industrial development in Kuantan".

The park opened in 2013 and is located in the East Coast Economic Region. It covers more than 14 square kilometers and caters to heavy, medium and light industries, and features both residential and commercial facilities.

Alliance Steel, one of the biggest steelmakers in Malaysia, is based in MCKIP. Mazlim said the company's presence in Kuantan not only encourages other companies to invest in the city, but also helps boost socioeconomic development in the community as it provides jobs and sources iron ore and other minerals from the local community.

"You can see a lot of improvement and changes around us now. (The investments) just bring people together, and we just want (Kuantan) to grow," Mazlim told China Daily.

The MCKIP and the China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park in Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, are part of the "Two Countries, Twin Parks" collaboration model between China and Malaysia. More important, this model is a concrete representation of how Chinese investments have grown in Malaysia and have helped strengthen economic ties between the two nations.