Communications minister Gobind Singh Deo said DFTZ is a national initiative to drive cross-border e-commerce.
KUALA LUMPUR: Two airports and a port are the three latest locations under the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) 2019 initiative to make Malaysia a regional e-commerce e-fulfillment hub, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the airports are the Penang International Airport and the Subang Airport and the port is Port Klang.
“Up to now, the KL International Airport has been involved in this (DFTZ) effort,” he said in a written reply to a question from Reezal Merican Naina Merican (BN-Kepala Batas). Gobind had uploaded the reply onto Facebook.
Reezal Merican had wanted to know the latest development on DFTZ and the KLIA Aeropolis in Sepang.
Gobind said the DFTZ is a national initiative to drive cross-border e-commerce through digitalisation by generating an increase in the exports of local small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
He explained that the DFTZ was introduced to help local SMEs to penetrate the world market and to attract global brands and e-marketplace to make Malaysia a global market gateway.
“In the 2017-2018 period, major developments were achieved under the DFTZ initiative through the Malaysia external trade development corporation (Matrade), Malaysia digital economy corporation (MDEC) and SME corporation.
“Malaysia has facilitated more than 6,200 SMEs to be trained in cross-border e-commerce,” he said.
On the KLIA Aeropolis, Gobind said Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) had prepared several key plans.
“Besides, the Mitsui Outlet Park has been in operation since 2014 (MICE and Leisure) and the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility has been developed at KLIA,” he said.
The KLIA Aeropolis is designed as an integrated, complete and synergistic ecosystem comprising three core clusters, namely Air Cargo & Logistics; Aerospace & Aviation, and MICE & Leisure; aligned with the national master plans and blueprints with the aim to elevate Malaysia as a magnet for foreign direct investments and as a high-income nation.
