The Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCI France Malaysia) hosted its annual Gala Night on 13th November 2025 at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, bringing together over 400 guests to celebrate the Malaysian-French business community and its contributions to bilateral trade. This year's event marked a significant milestone following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's official visit to Paris, which reaffirmed strong diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations, paving the way for enhanced cooperation in trade, innovation, and sustainable development.
The French economic footprint in Malaysia continues to expand, with over 600 French entities operating locally, including approximately 300 subsidiaries and 300 entrepreneurs. These entities collectively employ about 30,000 people and have an accumulated turnover of RM20 billion. The gala welcomed dignitaries including YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry (MITI), as the Guest of Honor, alongside Datuk Zainal Amanshah and Mr Richard Fostier, Honorary Chairman and President of CCIFM, respectively, and Mr. Olivier Sigaud, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of France in Malaysia.
The event was supported by key partners including TotalEnergies, Air Liquide, Airbus, Arkema, BNP Paribas, and others. Selected member companies were honored with the CCIFM Excellence Award for their exceptional innovation and contributions to Malaysian-French business relations. Recipients included TotalEnergies EP Malaysia for Outstanding Achievements – Large Company, Sophia Engineering Malaysia for Outstanding Achievements – SME, Asiance for Entrepreneur of the Year, Cultural Impact for Corporate Social Responsibility, Botanickel Sabah & the State of Sabah for France-Malaysia Smart Partnership, and Sunway Le Cordon Bleu for Image of France.
The evening featured performances by Jaclyn Victor, Douglas Lim, Psycusix, and Charity Goh, with cocktails by Monin and Pernod Ricard. Prizes included a four-night stay at Club Med Phuket and return tickets to Paris from Malaysia Airlines. CCIFM also highlighted its sustainability commitment through a tree-planting program that has grown to 500 trees in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in Sabah, offsetting approximately 12 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
With a long-standing history of dynamic trade relations, France and Malaysia continue to exemplify the strength of their economic partnership. The Chamber remains confident in Malaysia's role as a strategic hub for French businesses in Southeast Asia, built on collaboration with institutions like the French Embassy, Business France, MIDA, MATRADE, and InvestKL. CCIFM aims to foster a dynamic business ecosystem, offering services including business centers, company set-up, immigration assistance, and market research.
