Rafidah Aziz

Rafidah Aziz shaped Malaysia's economic rise over 21 years as Minister of International Trade and Industry (1987-2008), the longest tenure in the role. Under her leadership, Malaysia attracted Intel, Western Digital, Samsung, and Panasonic, becoming the world's largest semiconductor exporter and 20th largest trading nation. She established SMIDEC (now SME Corp) and MATRADE to support local enterprises. Known for her direct, no-nonsense style, Rafidah offers deep expertise on emerging market development, foreign investment attraction, and regional trade policy across Southeast Asia.