PETRONAS Management Training Sdn. Bhd. (PMTSB) - EPU

MTCP Alumni Newsletter
8
COuNTRY FOCuS – THE KiNgdOM OF CAMBOdiA
Location : Southeastern Asia, bordering
the Gulf of Thailand, between
Thailand, Vietnam, and Lao
PDR
Area : 181,040 sq km
Population : 13,881,427 (July 2006 est.)
Nationality : Cambodian
Independence Day : 9 November 1953 (from
France)
Ethnic Group : Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%,
Chinese 1%, other 4%
Religion : Theravada Buddhist 95%, other
5%
Language : Khmer (official) 95%, French,
English
Currency : dong (VND)
GDP : (Purchasing Power Parity)
$34.08 billion (2005 est.)
Bilateral relations between Malaysia and Cambodia are
close and cordial. Malaysia continues to work closely
with Cambodia at the regional and multilateral levels,
including ASEAN, United Nations (UN) and Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM). In ensuring that the bilateral relations
between both countries are further strengthened, several
high-level visits by leaders of both countries have taken
place, most notably the Official Visit of the Right Hon. Prime
Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
to Cambodia on 26 January 2004 and the first State Visit
of the King of Cambodia, His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni
to Malaysia on 27-29 March 2006 as part of his tour of the
ASEAN region since his accession to the throne in late
October 2004.
In the effort to further strengthen bilateral relations
between both countries, Malaysia and Cambodia convened
their Second Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) on 26-27 June
2006 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The JCM is established as a
mechanism to generate and foster closer bilateral relations
between the two countries. Its aim is to pave the way to
explore new cooperation opportunities in various areas that
could benefit both countries mutually. Among the issues of
mutual interests were those pertaining to security, trade,
investment, transportation, tourism, agriculture, forestry,
fisheries, land management, urban planning, construction,
education, youth and sports, information, ICT, technical
cooperation, capacity building, transnational crime and
labour.
In terms of trade and investment, the Malaysian
private sector has a significant presence in Cambodia.
To date, the Malaysian Business Council in Cambodia
(MBCC) has 48 full members (i.e. companies with Malaysian
interests of 51 percent and above equity participation) and
13 associate members. Although the volume of bilateral
trade between Malaysia and Cambodia remained small, it
has shown a noticeable upward trend. In July 2006, the total
value of bilateral trade between Malaysia and Cambodia
was USD43.5 million. Malaysia’s exports to Cambodia
totalled USD25.1 million, while Cambodian imports to
Malaysia totalled USD18.4 million.
Malaysia is the second largest foreign investor
after China in Cambodia, with a total investment in terms
of fixed assets approved amounting to USD1.8 billion.
Malaysia’s main investments in Cambodia include banking,
hospitality industry, garments, civil engineering, construction,
petroleum, utilities, telecommunications and beverages.
Currently, more than 42 Malaysian companies operate
in Cambodia including Maybank, Petroliam Nasional
(Petronas), Padiberas Nasional (Bernas), Muhibbah
Engineering, Sunway Hotel, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and
Casacom.