The ECP is a student-run consultancy project that conducts market research for companies interested in opportunities in Malaysia. A team of 25 students will research promising sectors of the Malaysian economy and provide tailored reports and recommendations for client companies. The research process takes place over several stages from October 2014 to October 2015, including general desktop research, customized engagements with clients, and a field research period in Malaysia. The ECP offers objective and affordable market insights to help companies explore and capitalize on business opportunities in the emerging Malaysian market.

1. Erasmus Consultancy Project
Malaysia 2015
EXPLORE YOUR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN MALAYSIA

2. Erasmus Consultancy Project
Malaysia 2015
Content
Preface
The Malaysian market
Quick facts about Malaysia
Explore the Malaysian market
The Erasmus Consultancy Project
The project
Our services
Why academic research by ECP?
ECP through the eyes of the professors
Testimonials
Meet the ECP team
Board of recommendation
Contact
Quick facts about Malaysia
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Population: 30,073,353
Language: Malay, English
Currency: Malaysian Ringgit (0.24 Euro)
GDP (PPP): 249.49 billion Euro
1.80 % growth
6.40 % annual growth
18024.44 Euro per capita
Unemployment rate: 2.7 %
Inflation rate (CPI): 3.2 % (Oct ‘13 - Oct ‘14)
FDI inflow: 9.31 billion Euro
Tradingeconomics, 2014
Preface
Malaysia is the third fastest growing economy in Asia and
with its rapidly growing middle income class, the country is
on its path to become a high-income nation by 2020. When
it comes to ease of doing business, Malaysia belongs to the
top 10 percent worldwide and is right behind the already
developed economies of Singapore, Hong Kong and South
Korea. These factors make the emerging economy of Ma-
laysia the ideal base to enter Southeast Asia.
During the past months, a group of 25 carefully selected
bachelor and master students has put all its effort into
gaining insights in promising sectors within the Malaysian
economy. During this research stage, we have enjoyed the
support of several major institutions and received trainings
from training institutions and consultancy firms. Together
with the support of two professors of the Rotterdam School
of Management, these institutions have helped us develop
ourselves in order to become the strong and professional
team we aspire to be.
Like our predecessors have done for over 25 years, the
team of Erasmus Consultancy Project 2015 Malaysia is
ready to offer you its services. We are looking forward to
serving you Malaysia’s best and unrevealed opportunities
with professional, tailor-made research on a non-profit ba-
sis. We are convinced that we can help you in exploring
these opportunities and exploiting the booming economy
of Malaysia.
Yours sincerely,
Eline van den Brink
Chairman Erasmus Consultancy Project Malaysia 2015

3. Erasmus Consultancy Project
Malaysia 2015
Explore the Malaysian market Explore the Malaysian market
The political stability in Malaysia is an important factor attracting foreign investors to the country. Moreover,
the governmental support and investment have large impacts on various sectors. For example, the progress
in education and the standard of living suggests strong potential for human resources development and in-
tegration. However, for Dutch companies one of the most interesting factors in the Malaysian market is the
increasing size of the economy which affects the increase in the purchasing power of population, leading to
greater business value. Aside from the almost 30 million Malaysians that can be reached, exporting to Ma-
laysia means exporting to a country central in the ASEAN where 615,6 million people live. Furthermore, the
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and Malaysia creates economic benefits in all kinds of sectors.
Additionally, Malaysia is one of the best English-performers in Asia. This means almost everyone in Malaysia
is fluent in speaking English. For doing business with Malaysians this is ideal, because the language barrier
will be minimal, which makes the country relatively easy accessible.
Geographical location
Malaysia is one of the best strategic locations in Asia. Situated next to Singapore, one of the largest ports
in the world, and close to booming China could have a positive influence on for example the transporta-
tion in/to Malaysia. According to A.T. Kearney’s Global Services Location index (2014), Malaysia is ranked
3th
. This means that Malaysia competes against India and China and stays ahead of countries as Thailand,
Indonesia, The Philippines and Brazil.
“Malaysia competes against nearby India and the Philippines with a politically stable, multilingual environ-
ment at reasonable rates.” (A.T. Kearney, 2014)
Ease of Doing Business
Malaysia has been ranked highly on the Doing Business Index of the World Bank for the last couple of years.
The estimation for 2015 ranked Malaysia on the 18th place, moving two places up in the ranking. Thus, Ma-
laysia belongs to the global top 10 percent in ease of doing business. Furthermore, Malaysia will be ahead of
Taiwan (19th), Switzerland (20th), Thailand (26th), Netherlands (27th) and Japan (29th). Zooming into Asia,
Malaysia ranked number four after Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. However, Malaysia is ranked
one among emerging East Asian economies and second in the ASEAN, following Singapore.
Stable GDP growth
In 2013 and 2014, the GDP growth in Malaysia was 4.7 percent and forecasted at 4.9 percent. For the com-
ing two years (2015 and 2016), the GDP growth is forecasted at 5.0 percent in both years. This shows a
stable growth for the country, which can partly be explained by the steady political situation in the country.
In comparison to other developing countries in East Asia & Pacific, the Current Account Balance in Malay-
sia is about 3.0 percentage points higher than the neighboring developing countries. This shows that the
sum of net exports of goods and services, net primary income, and net secondary income in Malaysia is
significantly higher.
Doing business, 2014 Worldbank, 2014

4. Erasmus Consultancy Project
Malaysia 2015
Explore the Malaysian market
“It was my pleasure to work with the consultants of the Study Association Rotterdam (STAR) of the
Erasmus University Rotterdam on a reserach project aimed at the identification of a business partner for
Zeelandis on the S. Korean Market. In the short term of three months the students have been able to rank
potential partners and present a shortlist of seven companies interested in a cooperation with Zeelandia
while at the same time providing valuable information about the S. Korean market for bakery products. We
are impressed by the good communication and by the speedy reporting and the quality of the research
results. The study has proved to be valuable for our company.”
Jef Sneijders - Director Asia Pacific of Koninklijke Zeelandia B.V. (South Korea, 2012)
“Develop yourself, explore opportunities and exploit new markets”
Vision of the Erasmus Consultancy Project 2015
Foreign Direct investment
Malaysia’s efforts to position itself as an attractive investment destination has once again been reaffirmed,
with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) raising the country’s rank to
16th
from 13th
as a Top Prospective Host Economy for 2013-2015 in its World Investment Report 2013. The
country was also among the top five host economies for FDI inflows in 2014, receiving around US$10 billion
worth of FDI inflows during that year.
UNCTAD also noted that Malaysia’s manufacturing sector is undergoing a period of transformation and
restructuring. At this stage, industry players are expected to reduce their investments in low-value sectors
and increase activities in research and development, high-knowledge, high value-added and high-technology
industries.
It also noted the Malaysian Government has recognized a number of areas which need to be strengthened
to attract FDI:
“Through this strategy, Malaysia aims to build further on its existing competitive position as an outsourcing
destination for transnational companies in the electronics, automotive, machinery manufacturing, and oil
and gas industries, as well as leverage these strengths to also become a key player in the aerospace, medi-
cal, defence and photovoltaic industries,” it said.” (UNCTAD, 2014)
Interesting sectors
During our preliminary research phase many interesting sectors stood out in the Malaysian market. Among
these sectors are the water supply management, sustainable energy, luxury goods, waste management,
logistics, IT, electronics and more. Detailed information on various sectors can be found on the following
website; www.ecpresearch.nl.

5. Erasmus Consultancy Project
Malaysia 2015
What is the Erasmus Consultancy Project?
The Erasmus Consultancy Project (ECP) is a project of the Study Association of the Rotterdam School
of Management (STAR), which is part of the Erasmus University. Every year, the ECP offers tailor-
made research to companies and non-profit organizations that are interested in expanding their busi-
ness to an emerging market. The ECP has 27 years of experience in performing research companies
in emerging markets all over the world. This 28th
year, the ECP will conduct research in Malaysia, an
emerging market with a lot of opportunities for Dutch companies.
Project profile
The research will be conducted by a select group of, mainly (international) business administration, stu-
dents. The group of 25 persons consists of both bachelor and master students, as well as Dutch and in-
ternational students, making it well-diversified. The project is supervised by two RSM professors, and the
consultants participate in multiple trainings from established consultancy firms. The project has a timeline
from October 2014 till October 2015 and can be divided into three stages: General Research, Tailor-made
Research and Reporting Stage. These stages will be explained in detail below.
General research
In October 2014, we started with conducting general research on the Malaysian economy. The aim of this
stage is to gain insights into the market by analyzing promising sectors. The outcomes of this research will
be our base knowledge and will be used in the next stages.
Tailor-made research
In this stage, starting in January, companies are offered a personalized contract. We will provide your com-
pany with a research proposal. Once this proposal has been accepted, we will start with the desk research,
which will take place until the end of June. In July 2015, the desk research will be followed by three weeks
of field research in Malaysia.
Reporting stage
By the end of September 2015, the research report will be finalized and the findings and recommendations
will be presented to our clients.
What do we offer?
The ECP can provide your company with unique business solutions, whether your company is considering
expanding their business activities to Malaysia or is already established there. Our versatile research ser-
vices and market insights, tailored to your specific needs, will help you put the business opportunities in
Malaysia into perspective and will consult you in what actions need to be taken to exploit them.
Our services
The ECP offers various kinds of consultancy services concerning different kind of opportunities in Malaysia.
In cooperation with you and your company, we compose tailor-made research based on your desires and
needs. We are able to serve all your wishes, from a competitor analysis to commercial activities. The pos-
sibilities are unlimited.
These are some examples of the services we offer:
Market research
Entering strategy analysis
Value chain analysis
Feasibility analysis
Supplier analysis
Competitor analysis
For more specified information about what we could
offer your company, please contact us. Accordingly
we can discuss the suitable options for your com-
pany.
Previous ECP destinations

6. Erasmus Consultancy Project
Malaysia 2015
Why you should select ECP as your partner?
We provide you with high quality research at both the practical and the academic level. The Erasmus
Consultancy Project gives you access to valuable and unique information on which successful busi-
ness decisions can be made.
Objective view
Since we are students, our consultants have no personal interest in any particular business or political area.
Therefore we can guarantee independent research. This encourages an open-minded view and honest re-
search, including creative solutions and opportunities.
Accessible price
Because the ECP is a university-based project, our price is on a non-profit base. This makes it possible to
offer an excellent price-quality ratio, especially compared to for-profit consultancy firms. Furthermore, the
price is dependent on the number of consultants required by a specific type of research.
Highly motivated students
Our consultants are among the most motivated students of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The ECP is
a learning opportunity for our students and they are intrinsically motivated to deliver the best research to
your company and write a report of contributing value.
Access to information
The ECP has access to a vast number of resources, including business experts, databases and information
provided from our ECP network. We are also in contact with different organizations that help Dutch com-
panies expanding or investing in Malaysia. With these information sources and students studying at a top
10 business school in Europe, we guarantee research based on the highest quality of information available.
In addition, we will obtain unique information and local knowledge during the field research in July.
Professional support
The quality of the research is guaranteed by academic feedback and expertise provided by two professors
of the Rotterdam School of Management. The members of the teaching staff provide input of knowledge,
network and experience in the process. They will guide the team and will accompany the group during the
field research in Malaysia. The project is also supported by an advisory board and an extensive board of
recommendation.
ECP through the eyes of our professors
“It is with great pleasure that we introduce to you the Erasmus Consultancy Project (ECP), one of RSM’s
flagship educative projects in which students are provided with the opportunity to bridge the gap between
theory and practice. Thriving on its longstanding success, ECP successfully advised dozens of corporations
over the last years through which it established itself as a high quality research project. ECP therefore man-
aged to translate our school’s academic excellence into well received strategic advice. Furthermore, with
many alumni of the project working for top consultancy firms, ECP has proven to be a breeding ground for
talent as it attracts our brightest students. It is therefore with great confidence that we recommend the
ECP without any hesitation.”
Yours faithfully,
Thijs Geradts
Assistant Professor in Strategic Management & Entrepreneurship
Marja Flory
Assistant Professor in Organizational Change and Consultancy

7. Erasmus Consultancy Project
Malaysia 2015
“We have experienced a successful and nice collaboration with the consultants of the Erasmus Consultancy
Project. The consultants who came to the first meeting came across as professional. Thereafter, they made
a well-researched research proposal and processed our feedback very well. In our opinion the students of
the ECP have delivered work of good quality. At the end we got interesting contact persons from the pro-
ject and we really appreciate this.”
Marlena Holdermans - Executive Manager of Transport & Offshore Services BV (Chile, 2014)
“Each year I got approached by different universities with similar requests. For DSM Innovation Center, it is
not always easy to connect us to a specific country and therefore I was restrained towards those projects.
It is hard for both, the company and the students to find a direct match during the first contact. The ECP
came with a relevant proposal, which showed knowledge about our company. Therefore, Chile, bio mining
and DSM were specific and a perfect fit. The ECP even visited a mine in Chile to see a part of the value
chain in action. In the end the report met our expectations perfectly. ”
Ubald Kragten - Manager Business & Market Intelligence of DSM Innovation Center (Chile, 2014)
“My experience with the ECP was very good. The students who conducted research for me were very in-
volved, accurate and delivered excellent work. When such a research in a region is desired, the ECP is a
very good possibility to do a first market exploration. It is possible to get a total image of the opportuni-
ties a region offers, especially trough the presence on location for a couple of weeks. Therefore it is easy
to get in contact with local contacts and doing research to potential buyers and suppliers, but also official
authorities like the customs office.”
Hein Willekens - Director of Kappersfood (Thailand, 2013)

8. Erasmus Consultancy Project
Malaysia 2015
Meet the Erasmus Consultancy Project team
The Committee The Consultants
Eline van den Brink Sirak Abraha Péter Pálmai
Chairman Julia Berhard Jan-Willem Roeloffs
Yvonne Slagter Felix Doorenbos Stanislav Rybachuk
Treasurer Margaux Drijdijk Tim Schüller
Bernice Hiltrop Dániel Fehér Nicole Schutte
Commissioner of Research Cyrille Fleskens Rexin Singotani
Ken French Theo Fromentin Maxime Smeekes
Commissioner of Commercial Relations Zoey Hasselo Tim Smeets
Youri Volkman Nicole Hoogelander Kay van der Vleuten
Commissioner of Marketing and Travel Toni Ortega Sjoerd Witjes
Board of recommendation
Spencer Dale
Chief Economist
BP plc.
Ubald Kragten
Manager Business & Market Intelligence
DSM Innovation Center
Marcel A. van Loo
Chief Executive Officer
EY The Netherlands LLP
Harald van der Heijden
Director Sales
GEA Refrigeration Netherlands NV
Erik Varwijk
Managing Director
KLM
Peter Berdowski
Chairman of the Board of Management
Royal Boskalis Westminster NV
Feike Sijbesma
Chief Executive Officer
Royal DSM NV
Frans van Houten
Chief Executive Officer
Royal Phillips NV
Marlena Holdermans
Executive Manager
Transport & Offshore Services BV
Harry J.M. Brouwer
Chief Executive Officer
Unilever Food Solutions
High Counselors
Ahmed Aboutaleb
Mayor
Rotterdam
Prof. dr. Huibert A.P. Pols
Rector Magnificus
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Prof. dr. Steef van de Velde
Dean
RSM Erasmus University Rotterdam
Mariëlle van Eesteren-van de Erve, LL.M
Honorary Secretary
Trustfonds Erasmus University Rotterdam

9. Contact information
Visiting address
Room T04-53, T-building (Mandeville)
Erasmus University Campus
Burgemeester Oudlaan 50
3062 PA Rotterdam
Mailing address
Study Association of the Rotterdam School of Management (STAR)
T.a.v. Erasmus Consultancy Project 2015
PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam
Telephone: +31(0)10 408 2428
Email: ecp.commercial@rsmstar.nl
Website: www.ecpresearch.nl
Linkedin: www.linkedin.nl/company/erasmus-consultancy-project