Malaysia To Be Guest Country Of Honour For 2027 Harbin Expo - Nga

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has been selected as the Guest Country of Honour for the 36th Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair (Harbin Expo) in China in 2027 following the success of KampungGOOD products in penetrating international markets.

Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming said the selection was a recognition of efforts by New Village entrepreneurs in expanding local products into global markets, after 39 KampungGOOD products were showcased at the 35th Harbin Expo in May.

“This recognition opens up greater opportunities for KampungGOOD entrepreneurs to expand their product markets, while creating employment opportunities and attracting more youths to venture into entrepreneurship in villages,” he said.

He said this to the media after officiating the national-level “Wow! Kampung Baru” (Wow! New Village) Expo and KampungGOOD 2026 Competition here today.

Also present were Selangor Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim and KPKT deputy secretary-general Thean Ming Fatt.

Nga said only entrepreneurs who obtained KampungGOOD certification would be selected to represent Malaysia at the 2027 Harbin Expo to ensure that the products showcased met the stipulated quality standards.

“KPKT also encourages KampungGOOD entrepreneurs to obtain halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) so that their products can penetrate Muslim consumer markets worldwide,” he said.

He added that the success of KampungGOOD in penetrating international markets proved that new villages were not only rich in traditional and heritage values, but also had the potential to become an economic driver through innovation and entrepreneurship.

“KPKT will continue efforts to strengthen the four development directions of National New Villages, namely infrastructure, village beautification, development of KampungGOOD products and ecotourism in 613 New Villages nationwide,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said KPKT also received RM320 million in funding from Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) to provide loans to New Village entrepreneurs at effective interest rates as low as two per cent, with each entrepreneur eligible to borrow up to RM150,000.

Nga also plans to seek an additional RM100 million allocation from the Finance Ministry next year, taking the total funding to RM420 million to help more New Village entrepreneurs expand their businesses.

On the three-day “Wow! National New Village” Expo, which ended today, he said it brought communities from 26 new villages nationwide, showcasing local products and uniqueness under five themes: Home, Industry, Craft, Taste and Habitt.

“We are targeting over 100,000 visitors and, as of yesterday, sales had alredy exceeded RM150,000, and I’m confident they can reach RM300,000 by tonight. Many products have also sold out due to the overwhelming response,” he said.

At the programme, he also announced that the KampungGOOD Competition and “Wow! National New Village” Expo would be made annual events and proposed that the total prize money be increased by 100 per cent from RM40,000 this year to RM80,000 next year as an incentive for more entrepreneurs to improve their product quality and business competitiveness.

Twenty-nine participants advanced to the finals of the KampungGOOD 2026 Competition, with Penang’s Sungai Pinang New Village emerging as the Gold Award winner for its Island Cincalok Sauce, taking home RM10,000 in cash.

Selangor’s Sungai Jarom New Village won the Silver Award for its Heritaste Apong Peanut Pounded Candy, while Penang’s Valdor New Village won the Bronze Award for its Chicken Floss Tausarpeah, with each receiving RM8,000 and RM5,000 in cash prizes respectively.

-- BERNAMA