Muhammad Saleem

Textile exporters have urged the government to enhance trade ties with Malaysia to strengthen the national economy, create jobs and fetch foreign exchange. Salamat Ali, a garment exporter, said Malaysia was a big fish in the market that could become a good source of foreign exchange earnings for Pakistan. Speaking to WealthPK, he said Faisalabad was the mainstay of Pakistan’s textile industry, making significant contributions to the country's total textile exports. “We need to focus on increasing our textile exports to Malaysia as we have not unlocked its full potential. “Demand for high-quality textiles is on the rise in Malaysia, and policymakers must strive to boost trade relationships between the two countries.” Suggesting measures that the government should take, he said the changing business scenario across the globe had made it crucial for countries to form partnerships.

“Amid the changing scenario, we have to focus on our capacity building coupled with improving the quality of textile products to meet Malaysian standards,” he said. He added that the government should also focus on organising regular trade missions and exhibitions to promote products in the Malaysian market. Besides textiles, Salamat said Pakistan could also leverage the existing diplomatic relations to boost cooperation in other sectors. Ahmed Sheikh, an industrialist and bed linen exporter, discussed with WealthPK the key challenges and opportunities for the textile sector in the Malaysian market. He said, “We must go an extra mile to establish the identity of Pakistani products in such markets as Malaysian residents are not fully aware of the quality of our products.”

He said the digital world was changing the game rapidly, and Pakistan also needed to tailor approaches to target Malaysian customers based on their interests. He said ample opportunities were available in Malaysia for the textile exporters of Pakistan. “Malaysia’s position in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is also significant due to its fast-growing economy,” he said.  “We are struggling to stay afloat due to the exorbitant prices of electricity. However, this does not mean that we won’t bounce back. The government is trying its level best to reduce electricity rates so that it can strengthen the national economy through industrialisation. We have to enhance trade ties with Malaysia, which will surely open new doors for Pakistani textile exporters,” Ahmed suggested.

“Developing stronger business ties with Malaysia is a win-win situation as Kuala Lumpur also seeks to increase trade with Pakistan,” he said, urging the Pakistan government to encourage B2B meetings to increase exports of textile products to Malaysia.  Anwer Suhail, another textile exporter, said Pakistan needed to emphasise the importance of economic integration with ASEAN. “Our business rivals are capturing the clients, who are reluctant to place orders with Pakistani exporters as cost of doing business is ever increasing in Pakistan.” Anwer said it is clear as day that challenges and opportunities went hand in hand, and ‘we have to find new markets to bolster our economy’.

Credit: INP-WealthPk