‘Buy local goods’ policy now a national priority, says Armizan

 A cabinet committee on the use and purchase of Malaysian-made products would also examine challenges faced by small businesses from the influx of goods sold through online platforms.

Armizan Mohd Ali, the minister of domestic trade and cost of living, said a cabinet committee on the “buy local products” policy was now ready to hold its first meeting. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

The “buy local products” policy has now become a matter of national priority and is being carried out with the efforts of all sectors of the country, says domestic trade and cost of living minister Armizan Mohd Ali.

He said the Cabinet had agreed on July 15 to establish a cabinet committee on empowering the use and purchase of Malaysian-made products. The committee, chaired by deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof, was now ready to hold its first meeting.

The committee would examine challenges faced by small businesses, including the influx of goods sold through online platforms, Bernama quoted him as saying at a Jom Malaysia festival in Batu Kawan, Penang.

He said efforts to promote local products went beyond encouraging Malaysians to buy locally made goods, as they also aimed to build confidence in Malaysian brands and expand market access from the domestic market to national, regional and global markets.

Armizan said the government wanted to empower small businesses and local traders so they could become key contributors to national economic growth.

He said the move was important amid views that a gap existed between the country’s economic growth and conditions on the ground. He said Malaysia’s gross domestic product grew 3.7% in 2023, 5.1% in 2024 and 5.2% in 2025, and 6% in the second quarter of 2026.

Armizan said the government wanted local products to also become an important component of that growth. as strong domestic demand and sustained household spending were among the factors supporting consistent economic growth. - FMT