The Australia Malaysia Business Chamber Western Australia (AMBCWA) received Her Excellency Danielle Heinecke, High Commissioner of Australia to Malaysia on Monday 9th June 2025 to discuss Malaysia and Australia trade and investment as well as the activities of AMBCWA in support of business linkages.
Ms Heinecke is a senior career officer with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Australian Government and was most recently First Assistant Secretary Pacific Melanesia Division. She has previously served overseas in Timor-Leste, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea and was appointed as High Commissioner of Australia to Malaysia on 9 December 2023.
‘AMBCWA was established as a business, investment and trade oriented body to support businesses, organisations and government in Western Australia and Malaysia to work together towards enhancing economic and cultural ties and maintaining close ties with the High Commissioner of Australia to Malaysia is very much in support of building AMBCWA ties with Malaysia,’ said Keith Anthonisz, Vice President of AMBCWA.
In meeting with AMBCWA, Ms Heinecke noted the economic and trade relationship between Malaysia and Malaysia was long standing. In 2023-24, Malaysia was Australia’s second largest two-way goods trading partner among ASEAN Member States and tenth largest partner overall. Total two-way trade in 2023-24 was valued at A$33 billion. It was also noted that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), met in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 26 May 2025 for the 46th ASEAN Summit, under the Chairmanship of Malaysia. ASEAN ten member states of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam had gross domestic product (GDP) of $US3.9 trillion in 2024 supporting a total population of 678 million people.
‘The Chairing of the ASEAN Summit by Malaysia highlights the opportunities for Australian business in engaging with Malaysia to support increasing trade and investment’, said Ms Heinecke.
AMBCWA support for business missions and themed industry events were discussed including a property event, Invest in WA - Unlocking Golden Opportunities in Kuala Lumpur in 2024 and a Business Mission to Sarawak in 2023. Industry events have included work with the mining industry, hydrogen industry, the water industry and agriculture.
Worth Drill is a Perth company and AMBCWA Member that attended the meeting with a view to learning more about partnering in Malaysia. Worth Drill is focused on manufacturing the next generation of drill rigs to support mineral exploration and is a Perth start-up company that is designing exploration drill rigs, aiming to produce innovative, safe, reliable and efficient drill rigs for world markets. Worth Drill is currently delivering a drill rig to Madagascar and is looking to Malaysia for a partner in manufacturing drill rigs.
‘Worth Drill is an example of a Perth company keen to partner with Malaysia and given Western Australia shares that same time zone as Malaysia with flights from Perth to Kuala Lumpur taking 5 hours 30 minutes, proximity means that the Malaysian market and the broader ASEAN market are accessible to Western Australia. Combined with Perth per capita having the largest Malaysian population of any Australian city, the opportunity for Malaysia and Western Australia to make business is compelling’, said Keith.
Ms Heinecke also highlighted Malaysian interests in Australia with artificial intelligence (Ai) the digital economy, renewable energy investment, hydrogen and rare earths all being areas of potential collaboration. Education links with Australian Universities including Western Australia’s Curtin University having a campus in Miri, Sarawak also highlight potential areas of growth.
'Australia and Malaysia are longstanding partners and friends and the Australian High Commission in Malaysia in Malaysia is happy to support AMBCWA members in pursuing trade and investment opportunities in Malaysia’, said Ms Heinecke.
It was noted at the meeting that in 2023, an AMBCWA Business Mission met at the Australian High Commissioner residence in Kuala Lumpur.
‘An AMBCWA Business Mission to Malaysia were invited to a reception at the Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur in July 2023 and it was a pleasure on this occasion for AMBCWA to receive the High Commissioner of Australia to Malaysia on her trip to Perth. We look forward to continuing the dialogue so that AMBCWA and the High Commission can work together on trade and investment opportunities between Malaysia and Australia’, added Keith.
For more information on the event or to contact AMBCWA:
Email: info@ambcwa.org.au
