Asia Economic and Entrepreneurship Summit opens in Kuala Lumpur

HONG KONG - The Asia Economic and Entrepreneurship Summit opened in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday to explore the region’s economic and business disruptions and opportunities in post-COVID-19 recovery megatrends and shifts toward green technology, digitalization and innovation especially as Asia grapples with the new normal.

The one-day forum, which is being held in a hybrid format, has been organized by the KSI Strategic Institute for Asia Pacific, Economic Club of Kuala Lumpur (ECKL) and China Daily Asia Pacific.

Government officials, senior company executives, civil society leaders and academic experts will take part in the discussion themed 'The Great Reset - Asia Megatrends and Opportunities Post-COVID'.he summit is being held at a time when the region is slowly rebuilding an economy that was hit hard by the pandemic. There’s also the need to create a shared prosperity.

KSI’s President Michael Yeoh and ECKL Chairman Mohamed Iqbal Rawther delivered the welcome speeches.

Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, governor of the northwestern Malaysian state of Penang, delivered a keynote speech on ‘The challenges facing Asia in the post pandemic new normal – leadership, governance and security’. Adham Baba, Malaysia’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, delivered a special address on ‘Technology and Innovation as New Drivers of Economic Growth’ during the lunchtime.

The morning session featured two panel discussions. The first one had a special ambassadors and conversations' panel on peace, stability and prosperity in Asia-Pacific. The speakers were Justin Lee, High Commissioner of Australia to Malaysia, Roland Galharague, Ambassador of France to Malaysia, and Michalis Rokas, Ambassador of the European Union to Malaysia. Wei Chuan Beng, KSI’s senior executive director, moderated the session.

The session on Asia’s economic megatrends - competitiveness, innovation and transformation – focused on the region’s economic outlook and key challenges the new few years. It featured three speakers: Richard Marshall, senior economist for United Nations Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Mia Mikic, advisor at large for the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade and research fellow in the New Zealand-based University of Waikato and Rainer Althoff, ECKL’s exco member. Hamzah Kassim, co-founder of The iA Group, was the session’s moderator.

The afternoon session will feature two panel discussions. The panel on post pandemic corporate leadership - enhancing sustainability and governance – will explore how corporate leaders can innovate, lead and transform their business and corporations.

The panel discussants include Shazali Sulaiman, chairman of the Brunei Darussalam International Chambers of Commerce and Industry and partner, Shazali & Partners; Annie Koh, professor emeritus of finance (practice) and senior academic advisor at the Business Families Institute and International Trading Institute of Singapore Management University; Sunita Mei-Lin Rajakumar, chairwoman of Climate Governance Malaysia and Dutch Lady Milk Industries; Roshan Thiran, chief executive officer of Leaderonomics; and Chin Yew Sin, deputy president cum chief coordinator of MHSSATJ, United Nations / Advisor for Asia Pacific Region Global One Belt One Road Association. Vaseehar Hassan, KSI’s executive vice chairman, will moderate this discussion.

The last panel discussion will highlight the new growth drivers in the region - digitalization and green technology.

The discussants are Albert Oung, chairman of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Sustainable Business Network Green Economy Task Force and founder/president of World Green Organization; Deborah Biber, chairwoman of UNESCAP’s digital economy task force, chief executive of Blue Moon Advisory and former executive director of Pacific Basin Economic Council; Raymond Kwong, executive director of Silverlake Axis, Caroline Macdonald, CEO of BBX International and David Morris, vice president of UNESCAP’s Sustainable Business Network. Wen Zongduo, managing director of China Daily Global Weekly will moderate the discussion.