US-ASEAN Business Council Leads Groundbreaking Trade Delegation to Malaysia during the Country’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year
(Kuala Lumpur) – From May 20 to 22, 2025, the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) orchestrated and led a delegation of senior executives from 22 leading U.S. companies to Kuala Lumpur for its 2025 Business Mission to Malaysia.
The Mission was headed by Ambassador Brian McFeeters (ret.), Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of USABC; Mr. Stephen Braim, Vice President of Government Affairs at IBM Asia-Pacific and Chair of the Council’s Malaysia Committee; and Ms. Tina Jamaluddin, the Council’s Malaysia Chief Country Representative.
This year's mission held great significance as Malaysia holds the 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship, themed on “Inclusivity and Sustainability.” The importance of the U.S.-Malaysia economic relationship is even more significant as both countries navigate global and geopolitical challenges, namely dynamic U.S. trade policy and ongoing negotiations.
The 2025 Malaysia Business Mission provided the delegation with unique opportunities for exclusive, in-person dialogues with the Anwar Ibrahim Administration as well as the East Malaysian governments, with the objectives to strengthen the U.S-Malaysia business relationship, discuss new opportunities, and navigate risks associated with the current global economic landscape. Topics of discussion centered around the Council’s three main mission themes, namely: supporting public-private partnerships on digital, supply chain, and renewable energy efforts; promoting Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship; and enhancing Malaysia’s domestic business environment for economic and trade resilience. Overall, the mission brought together a diverse group of industry leaders eager to support Malaysia’s efforts and progress on all the above fronts.
The USABC delegation deeply appreciated a dialogue with His Excellency Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim. The itinerary also included meetings with Minister of Digital YB Tuan Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living YB Datuk Armizan Bin Mohd Ali, Minister of Foreign Affairs Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad, Minister of Finance II YB Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) YB Tuan Nik Nazmi Bin Nik Ahmad, Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC) YB Datuk Ewon Benedick, InvestSabah CEO Dr. Firdausi Suffian, officials from the U.S. Embassy, as well as many other key policymakers and stakeholders from across the Malaysian Government and private sector.
“As Malaysia forges ahead in their ASEAN Chairmanship year amidst geopolitical uncertainties and dynamic trade winds, the promotion of a unified and resilient ASEAN through inclusivity and sustainability is more important now than ever,” said Ambassador Brian McFeeters (ret.), Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of USABC. “The US-ASEAN Business Council is keen to continually support these efforts toward our shared vision. In a geopolitical context characterized by high uncertainty, USABC and its member companies remain reliable partners for Malaysia and other ASEAN Member States, now and going forward.”
“The US-ASEAN Business Council’s 2025 Business Mission to Malaysia created valuable opportunities for IBM and members of the U.S. business community to engage with senior Malaysian Government officials and reinforce economic cooperation between the two countries. As IBM marks nearly 65 years in Malaysia, we look forward to further strengthening our enduring partnership and advancing the country’s capabilities in the ICT space and global supply chains," said Mr. Stephen Braim, Vice President of Government Affairs at IBM Asia-Pacific and Chair of the Council’s Malaysia Committee.
Companies participating in the mission include IBM, Coca-Cola, Intel, Micron, Zuellig Pharma, 3M, Abbott, Amazon, Boeing, Google, Marriott International, Mastercard, Meta, Moody’s, Pacific Pension & Investment Institute, Philip Morris International, Salesforce, SC Johnson, TE Connectivity, Visa, and Vriens & Partners.
