Ho Chi Minh City - A Holiday and Shopping Destination for Malaysian

Ho Chi Minh City - A Holiday and Shopping Destination for Malaysian

The name of Ben Thanh market is known to many Malaysians, and it came as a big surprise to me when the sale-girls, welcomed me in Malaysian, "mari mari, jualan murah, murah, abang!" during my first visit to the Ben Thanh market 10 months ago. Compliments should be given to Malaysian Airlines (MAS) and Vietnam Airlines for their effort to get more frequent flights ferrying more passengers and more Malaysian visitors to Ho Chi Minh City. Currently, there are 3 flights available daily for those who want to travel between Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City. I have a strong feeling that more people from both sides will travel either on business trips, holidays, visiting relatives, parents and others; perhaps the economic slowdown won't really stop Malaysian and Vietnamese people from traveling especially to their neighboring countries.

Malaysian businessmen often visit the city to look for business prospects either in the trading, manufacturing or service sectors. They also look for the opportunity to invest either through partnership or 100 per cent foreign investment. In June, this year, 40 businessmen accompanied Her Excellency Datuk Paduka Rafidah Aziz, Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia on a visit to Ho Chi Minh City and recently, on 28 September 2004 a group of 30 construction companies again visited the city for a similar objective to participate in the growing Vietnamese economy.

Malaysia and Ho Chi Minh City are close neighbors, in terms of distance; it takes only 1 hour 45 minutes to reach Ho Chi Minh City from Kuala Lumpur, and as the Consul General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City I hope to see more business activities between the two cities which could further enhance the bilateral trade, education, tourism, social, culture and technical cooperation between the two countries. Malaysia and Vietnam should benefit more from globalization, which could assist both in acquiring efficient, hi-tech, knowledge-base societies.

More activities and interaction on education, trade, tourism and services should take place between the two neighbors. As for education opportunities, students from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern provinces could always consider Malaysian for their education needs. Similar climate, food, and common Eastern culture and living style make the student's life in Malaysia similar to that in Vietnam. Students could easily adapt to daily life and continue to excel in their study without delay. Education Malaysia Promotion office in the Consulate General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City will be very happy to assist parents who are interested in sending their children to study in Malaysia. "Malaysia truly Asia"

• Raja Ahmad Bin Raja Daud, Psk
  Consul General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City