M'sia-UK joint committee to boost franchise ecosystem: Zahid

A joint committee between Malaysian and United Kingdom franchise business associations will be established to strengthen Malaysia’s franchise ecosystem in the UK, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The rural and regional development minister said the initiative would serve as a support platform to help Malaysian franchise brands penetrate the UK market by next year.

“There are plenty of opportunities for Malaysian companies to expand their franchise businesses in the UK, especially in halal-related sectors such as food, traditional medicine and cosmetics.

“I will chair the cabinet committee on franchises. I will obtain reports on the progress that can be made promptly, and I will review the achievements every six months,” he said, adding that meetings will take place twice a year.

Zahid said this in a press conference in London on Tuesday.

Earlier, he attended the Malaysia-UK Franchise Business Dialogue, held in conjunction with his four-day working visit to the UK.

Zahid added that Malaysia is also committed to supporting the franchise ecosystem through financing policies by the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) and digital grants from the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), with the aim of securing RM100 billion in sales by 2030.

He said closer cooperation would be pursued to encourage UK franchises to explore the Asean market via Malaysia, while at the same time promoting the expansion of Malaysian brands into the UK market through the proposed committee.

500k tourist arrivals

In another development, Zahid said Malaysia is targeting 500,000 tourist arrivals from the UK as part of the Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026) campaign.

He expressed optimism that the target can be met, citing a significant increase in the number of tourists from the UK during the first four months of this year. He is confident that this upward trend will continue.

“I am satisfied with the efforts carried out by Tourism Malaysia in London, especially regarding the goal of attracting 500,000 tourists from the UK. I am confident that this target can be achieved,” he said at a press conference following the launch of VM2026 in London on Tuesday.

Earlier, Zahid participated in a tourism roundtable session with key players from the UK tourism industry.

During the session, he said that there is a proposal to create a special package for tourists flying with Malaysia Airlines, offering stopover incentives to encourage them to spend time in Kuala Lumpur or other destinations in Peninsular Malaysia.

“I have agreed to bring this proposal to the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry and present it to the cabinet so that the package can be implemented by 2026.

“Malaysia Airlines had previously offered a similar package with considerable success, so we are optimistic that the suggestion from the Malaysia Airlines manager in London can be adopted and implemented,” he said.

In his opening remarks, Zahid noted that in 2024, a total of 390,035 travellers from the UK visited Malaysia, contributing over RM2.5 billion in visitor receipts.

He also highlighted that Malaysia has approved 103 new international routes, 29 additional flight frequencies, and five charter flights.

“All in preparation for VM2026. I believe these routes represent more than just infrastructure - they are gateways to opportunities for travellers, operators, and investors alike,” he added.

- Bernama

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