Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), an agency under Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), as one of the organisers of Malaysia Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 emphasised that the photo removal of Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak had never taken place, as claimed by the former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in a video published online recently.

All the parties involved in organising the Malaysia Pavilion have confirmed that the claim on the alleged photo removal made by Tan Sri Muhyiddin was unfounded. We regret the attempt to undermine the professionalism and competence of officials involved in the management of the Expo.

The Expo Milano, led by MITI, took place from 1 May to 31 October 2015. The Malaysia Pavilion was set up to showcase Malaysia to an international audience, with a special emphasis on Malaysia's sustainable development and biodiversity. Malaysia's participation was an embodiment of the National Blue Ocean Strategy as it involved a concerted effort by various Ministries, Agencies, State Governments, Private Sectors and the public.

The management and operations of the Malaysia Pavilion during the Expo was carried out by representatives from MITI assisted by government agencies namely MATRADE, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Ministry of Plantation Industry and Commodities (MPIC), Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) as well as staffs from relevant bodies.

The participation in the universal exposition last year was Malaysia's 8th participation and the event was themed as "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life". The event was a platform to promote Malaysia's capabilities in various products and services with an aim to boost Malaysia's trade, investment and tourism. Malaysia's Pavilion was designed along the theme to reflect Malaysia's move towards sustainability and inclusiveness by focusing on various efforts under the Economic Transformation Programme's National Key Economic Areas especially in agriculture, palm oil and rubber sector, tourism as well as business services.

The results of Malaysia's participation in the Expo over the six months period were encouraging with 3.1 million visitors (1 out of 7 or 14 percent visitors from the total 22.5 million people at Expo Milano) received at the Malaysia Pavilion, 183 Malaysian companies featured, EURO 960,000 generated through food sales, 4,416 enquiries on palm oil entertained and 11 trade and investment activities organised, among many others.

The Malaysia Pavilion was one of the most visited pavilions at the Expo with visitors and Expo Officials acknowledging the Pavilion's unique structure and the hospitality shown by the Malaysian officers at the event. The Pavilion, which design was inspired by the rainforest seeds, was hugely publicised by the Italian media and a survey by an Italian mainstream newspaper, Corriere della Sera, voted Malaysia as one of the top three countries visited by the Expo visitors.