SABC 2023 to bridge new business frontiers and gather industry titans

Industry players from around the world will come together for the Selangor ASEAN Business Conference (SABC) 2023 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Oct 19 and 20 to explore opportunities in new markets in the golden state of Malaysia and the most competitive gateway to the ASEAN region.

After a highly successful conference in 2022, SABC - which is part of the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) - returns with a fresh perspective this year, with the theme "Selangor, Epicentre of ASEAN: Leveraging Diversity, Catalysing Opportunity, Creating Prosperity".

Organised by state government agency Invest Selangor Bhd, the annual conference has shown tremendous progress and become the event of choice for industry players not only in Malaysia but also from around the world. SABC is the event of choice for industry players looking to obtain updates, expand into new markets and build their businesses.

Invest Selangor CEO Datuk Hasan Azhari Idris said this year marks the seventh edition of SABC, which will emphasise Southeast Asia as the ideal investment destination. "As the top foreign direct investment (FDI) destination, ASEAN is the next engine of the world's economic growth - the world's fifth largest economy with a consumer base of more than 660 million and home to over 40 start-up unicorns."

SABC 2023 highlights Selangor's pivotal role in shaping the region's economic landscape. As a pillar of SIBS, the conference serves as a platform for key economic players, stakeholders and thought leaders to convene and discuss market access, regional economic integration and the boundless potential of entrepreneurship," said Hasan.

Hasan said SABC 2023 will deliver unique and enriched experiences with an insightful speaker line-up.

"SABC this year is unique because we will engage more speakers from ASEAN. We have two sessions dedicated to ASEAN, one on ASEAN in 2023 and the other on the investment landscape," he added.

"In addition, our speaker mix this year is more diverse by involving more government leaders, corporate captains and representatives of chambers of commerce."

Among the prominent speakers from Malaysia are the Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, ASEAN Business Advisory Council (Malaysia) Chairman Tan Sri Nazir Razak, Board Member, IRIS Corporation Berhad, Nano Malaysia & Autocount Dotcom Berhad Dato' Ng Wan Peng, CEO, Penjana Kapital Mr Taufiq Iskandar and representatives from state investment promotion agencies of Sabah, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and IRDA.

Speakers from other countries include ASEAN-Japan Centre secretary-general Dr Kunihiko Hirabayashi, Executive Director, Central Group, Thailand Prof. Suthiphand Chirathivat, Executive Director, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, Indonesia Dr. Yose Rizal Damuri, Director, TDRI Economic Intelligence Service (EIS) Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) Dr. Kirida Bhaopichitr and representatives from national investment promotion agencies from Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam.

It is worth noting that the SABC's theme this year was inspired by ASEAN chair Indonesia's vision for the region to be the "epicentrum of growth".

"SABC 2023 highlights Selangor's pivotal role in shaping the region's economic landscape. As a pillar of SIBS, the conference serves as a platform for key economic players, stakeholders and thought leaders to convene and discuss market access, regional economic integration and the boundless potential of entrepreneurship," said Hasan.

This year's conference presents a comprehensive agenda tailored to the needs of the business community, spanning crucial topics of business, investment and regional dynamics. The sessions include a special dialogue on "ASEAN Matters: Leveraging Diversity, Catalysing Opportunity, Creating Prosperity".

It also features four pivotal panel discussions that will address pertinent themes, namely the ASEAN Journey - Paving the Way Forward, Unleashing the Digital Potential of ASEAN: Opportunities for Investment, Overview of the Investment Landscape in ASEAN - Outlook and Challenges, as well as Capitalising on Synergies: Maximising Malaysia-ASEAN Investment Potential.

"Based on the global and regional challenges affecting ASEAN, SABC 2023 will focus on three major areas by leveraging the region's economic potential, unleashing its digital potential and understanding the ASEAN investment landscape," Hasan stressed.

"While the takeaways from each session will differ, we hope the participants will leave with the following - that Selangor lies in the heart of ASEAN and is a gateway to the region," Hasan emphasised.

He noted that Selangor has a vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem and strong economic potential. Thus, entrepreneurs, businesses and investors can utilise the state as a hub to expand their operations in the region, from Indonesia to Vietnam.

"Selangor is an economic powerhouse, contributing almost 25% to Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP). Its population of 3.6 million represents the diversity and talent of ASEAN," said Hasan.

"Strategically located, Selangor boasts Malaysia's two largest international airports, Port Klang (12th busiest container port globally), and extensive 4G and growing 5G coverage."

Moreover, Selangor is home to multinational corporations such as home furnisher Ikea, commercial aircraft manufacturer Airbus and automobile manufacturer Toyota. The state has attracted domestic and foreign direct investments with 1,329 projects valued at US$15 billion (RM69.77 billion) across various sectors.

"Overall, SABC will provide local and regional industry players with insights into ASEAN's economic growth and digital potential while highlighting Selangor's central role and opportunities in the ASEAN business ecosystem," said Hasan.

He encouraged the public to attend SABC 2023 to discover the most recent developments and the way forward in vital economic integration, market access and opportunities in ASEAN.