Bernama reported him as saying in Hanoi, Vietnam, that as a trading nation, Malaysia needs investment because, without it, the country would not be able to solve problems related to employment or create job opportunities and improve its economic capabilities.

“Investment can help accelerate the development (of the country). Some people ask, do I need to keep travelling abroad? Some simply say I shouldn’t travel too much.

“They don’t know that I usually travel and reach the destination in the evening. Even before checking into the hotel, I have to attend a couple of meetings plus the pre-council meeting with the ambassador. From 7am onwards, there would be several bilateral meetings for me to attend. That’s what I do, and when I return, I go straight to work.

“I didn’t even take a day off to play golf,” Anwar told the Malaysian media after delivering a keynote address at the 2nd Asean Future Forum here, which was also attended by his counterparts from Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh and Christopher Luxon of New Zealand, as well as Timor-Leste president Jose Ramos Horta.

The keynote address was part of Anwar’s schedule during his two-day working visit to Vietnam, which was the first after Malaysia officially assumed the Asean chairmanship in January.

Anwar said Malaysia would be receiving visits from leaders from South Africa in March and China in April.

“In April, Chinese president Xi Jinping will come to Malaysia and when he comes, he will come with a big delegation of business people, dozens and hundreds of them, to explore (business and trade) opportunities in Malaysia,” he said.

Yesterday, investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said Malaysia had recorded approved investments totalling RM378.5 billion in 2024, which is the highest in the country’s history.