Najib grateful DFTZ not cancelled – Tech News| Tech News

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is grateful that the Pakatan Harapan Government did not cancel the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ).  

The DFTZ, which was launched by the previous Barisan Nasional administration, is an e-hub set up by the Alibaba Group and the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation.  

Malaysia’s DFTZ will be the first outside China and is meant to help small and medium-sized businesses reach global markets by lowering trade barriers.  

“The DFTZ, is expected to create 60,000 jobs, facilitate US$65bil (RM260bil) worth of traded goods by 2025, double trans-shipment and cargo volume for Malaysia by 2025,” wrote Najib in a Facebook post on Monday (June 18).  

“Initiatives like DFTZ are also tools to prepare the young people for jobs that do not even exist yet,” he said.  

Najib said that the digital economy is the fastest growing sector in Malaysia.  

“It currently accounts for 18.2% of our gross domestic product (GDP) and is expected to grow and contribute 20% to our country’s GDP by 2020,” he said.  

Najib also congratulated Alibaba Group on the opening of its Kuala Lumpur office on Monday.  

The office is the first in South-East Asia and the first outside China.