MITI CLOSELY MONITORING MARKET FOR M'SIAN PRODUCTS

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- The International Trade and Industry Ministry
is closely monitoring the market for Malaysian products which may see a decline
due to the global economic and financial crisis, Minister Muhyiddin
Yassin said Tuesday night.

Following the crisis in the United States and Europe, he said, whatever
initiatives taken by the authorities there would have an impact on the trade and
investments in Malaysia.
He said his ministry would draw up a plan to tackle the possibilities that
would be faced in the next few years.

"Although there is a slide in imports of Malaysian goods to the US and
Europe, but we've not seen a major impact. On the whole, we can still maintain
the trade and investments at global level as we have a diversified market," he
said in his speech at a briefing for Barisan Nasional (BN) members of parliament
at a hotel.

Muhyiddin said the domestic investment outflow was not worrying as
investors
would bring the profit back to the country.

"The bulk of investments in foreign countries were made by
government-linked companies such as Petronas which currently earns 60 percent of
its revenue from investments overseas," he said.

Muhyiddin said the capital taken out by private companies engaged in the
construction industry to venture into markets such as India and Pakistan was
productive capital as the profit made there would be brought back to Malaysia.

"As of today, investments flowing into the country are still very
encouraging," he added.

-- BERNAMA