President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, during his ongoing official visit to Malaysia, held meetings with two prominent Malaysian business leaders to explore potential investment opportunities in the Maldives.
The Founder and Advisor at Berjaya Corporation Berhad, Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, paid a courtesy call on President Muizzu to discuss avenues for collaboration. During the meeting, Vincent Tan provided an overview of Berjaya Corporation’s latest projects and expressed a keen interest in expanding the company’s investment portfolio to include the Maldives. President Muizzu welcomed the interest and encouraged greater investment in the country, particularly in the tourism sector, which he described as having strong potential for growth.
Ministers accompanying the President briefed Berjaya Corporation representatives on the Maldives’ investment climate, emphasising the ease of doing business and the government’s support for foreign investors. Discussions also touched on the country’s robust air connectivity and transport infrastructure, with officials outlining plans to further enhance these sectors.
Accompanying Vincent Tan were Syed Ali Shahul Hameed, Group Chief Executive Officer of Berjaya Corporation Berhad, and Maurice Daniel Chenn, Executive Assistant to the Founder and Advisor and Director of Business Development.
In a separate meeting, the Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group, Tan Seri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah KBE AO, also met with President Muizzu. The discussions centred around potential collaboration in tourism, education, and healthcare. President Muizzu highlighted the importance of on-the-job training and suggested partnership opportunities with the Maldives National University.
Dr Jeffrey Cheah provided an overview of Sunway Group’s diverse operations and areas of expertise, while the delegation inquired about the Maldives’ investment climate, including foreign investment procedures, taxation policies, visa facilitation, and currency usage. Expressing strong interest, the Sunway team indicated their intent to visit the Maldives to further assess opportunities.
Ministers present at the meeting shared insights into major national initiatives, such as the Ras Malé project and developments within Special Economic Zones. They also outlined the government’s digital transformation efforts and reaffirmed the President’s vision of achieving 33 per cent renewable energy, highlighting ongoing solar energy projects. Additionally, they noted that the Maldives Foreign Investment Act, effective since December last year, provides a secure framework for business and sustainable investment returns.
Both meetings concluded on a positive note, with mutual optimism about future collaboration between the Maldives and the Malaysian conglomerates.
