The Malaysian French Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCI France Malaysia) held its annual Gala Night on 13 November 2025 at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, bringing together over 400 guests to celebrate the robust economic partnership between France and Malaysia. The event underscored the deepening ties following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's official visit to Paris and a subsequent business mission of 29 French companies organized by Business France and MEDEF International.
According to the Chamber, more than 600 French entities now operate in Malaysia, including approximately 300 subsidiaries and 300 entrepreneurs, collectively employing about 30,000 people and contributing an accumulated turnover of RM20 billion to the Malaysian economy. Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of France in Malaysia, Mr. Olivier Sigaud, attended the Gala, along with Guest of Honor YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry (MITI) Malaysia.
The evening featured the presentation of the CCIFM Excellence Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to Malaysian-French business relations. Winners included TotalEnergies EP Malaysia (Outstanding Achievements – Large Company), Sophia Engineering Malaysia (Outstanding Achievements – SME), Asiance (Entrepreneur of the Year), Cultural Impact (Corporate Social Responsibility), Botanickel Sabah & the State of Sabah (France-Malaysia Smart Partnership), and Sunway Le Cordon Bleu (Image of France).
Key partners for the Gala included TotalEnergies, Air Liquide, Airbus, Arkema, BNP Paribas, Botanickel, Cegos, Club Med, Engie, L'Oréal, Safran, Saint Gobain, SeaOwl Group, STMicroelectronics, Technip Energies, CMA CGM, JLL, Michelin, Rotortrade, Société Générale, and Veolia. Entertainment was provided by artists such as Jaclyn Victor, Douglas Lim, Psycusix, and Charity Goh, while Monin and Pernod Ricard supplied signature cocktails.
The Gala also highlighted the Chamber's sustainability commitment, with its tree-planting program now having grown to 500 trees in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in Sabah, offsetting approximately 12 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. CCI France Malaysia aims to foster a dynamic business ecosystem, offering services such as business center facilities, company set-up, immigration assistance, and market research. For more details, see photos from the event at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCAahG.
