Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia'seconomic growth is expected to increase further in the second and thirdquarters of this year, driven by the government's continued efforts toattract foreign investments, as well as the success of the COVID-19 vaccinationprogramme.

Senior Minister of International Trade andIndustry, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali was quoted by local media as saying thatthe 5 percent economic growth recorded in the first quarter of this year is anindication that the country’s economic performance will continue toimprove.

This is thanks to the policies and programmesinitiated by former Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin toexpedite the country's vaccination programme, and now, more than 98.5 percentof Malaysia’s adult population has been vaccinated, allowing thecountry to reopen its borders, he said.

Consequently, external demand hasbeen increasing, so local companies, including small and mediumenterprises, need to increase their productivity to meet external demand, he held.

He said the Ministry of International Tradeand Industry, together with the Malaysian Investment DevelopmentAuthority and the Malaysia External Trade DevelopmentCorporation, will continue to strive to attract investments that willcreate quality employment opportunities for Malaysians.

Mohamed Azmin said his governmentwill also continue to ensure that investors remain confident inthe country’s business environment and ecosystem. Headded that the country's economy is on the right track to recoverfrom the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasising that thegovernment needs some time to ensure all recovery programmes are runningsmoothly.

Given the current situation, Mohamed Azminsaid he has refused calls to hold the 15th General Election in the near future.“We must prioritise the country's economic interest and the people'sinterests to ensure sustainable growth for the future," he said./.