Several Malaysian electrical appliance, electronics and automotive companies have started to experience the effects of the earthquake-tsunami disaster that hit Japan recently.     

International Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Mukhriz Mahathir said the ministry had received feedback from companies which obtained product their components from Japan that they were now having difficulty to get these components.     

"We are slowly getting feedback, especially from companies that use a lot of components from Japan. Automotive companies, for instance, get many parts from the affected areas.     

"I can imagine they face difficulty to meet the demand," he said after launching the ministry's outreach programme with students of public and private higher learning institutions in the state at Universiti Teknologi Mara Merbok, near here, today.     

Mukhriz said because of that, they expected some delays in production in the affected industries.     

"I hope their customers can understand this. The government will try to outsource the parts from other sources other than Japan. Our office is updating us daily. We will look at the specific areas, but it's still at a very early stage," he said.     

On another matter, Mukhriz said graduates and others who wished to venture into business should target penetrating the global market and not just the local market.     

"With the technology available including the Internet, and various marketing strategies and promotions, they will not only be able to meet the local demand. For instance, things made in Merbok can now be exported to the United States."     

As for the outreach programme, it is aimed at forging close relations between the ministry and its agencies and undergraduates, especially those in their final year, to inculcate entrepreneurship among the students.     

The programme is the fourth in the series after the ones held in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Kelantan.       

- Bernama