KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 23): The Cabinet has agreed that state pavilions will be set up during the Asean Summit next year, said Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu.

He said the decision, made three weeks ago, reflects the government’s recognition of the success of the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Exhibition (MAHA) led by the ministry.

“In light of MAHA’s success in attracting 5.5 million visitors, the Cabinet has decided that the state pavilions should be opened during the Asean Summit so it could serve as a visiting site for delegations coming to this country.

“We will request the participation of all states, and currently, ministry officials are engaging with state governments to facilitate the set up of these pavilions,” he said after attending the MAHA 2024 Media Appreciation Ceremony here on Wednesday.

Also present were Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup and the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Isham Ishak.

On Sept 25, Communications Minister and Unity Government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil, at a press conference following the Cabinet meeting, said that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has proposed that several state pavilions built around the MAHA exhibition grounds be retained as permanent features.

Meanwhile, when asked about the targets for MAHA 2026, Mohamad expressed his desire to enhance the MAHA Go Global programme, which debuted this year, to boost the marketing of Malaysian products at the international level.

MAHA 2024, held from Sept 11 to 22, generated RM48.5 million in sales and secured the signing of Memorandums of Understanding and Memorandums of Agreement worth RM7.2 billion.

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