KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, chairman of CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, has been appointed the inaugural chair of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Regional Business Council (RBC), which was launched yesterday.

The RBC is made up of 25 Asean businesses and 30 global companies, who will focus on areas such as building infrastructure, promoting cross-border trade and investment in the region, developing a digital economy, examining the future of jobs and industry in the region, and championing the principles of inclusive growth.

“I am deeply honoured to have been appointed the first chairperson of the WEF’s Asean RBC. Together with my fellow committee members, the RBC will strive to give its best towards enhancing public-private partnership to uplift Asean’s socio-economic progress, as many of the biggest challenges in the region can be overcome by getting business and government working well together,” Nazir said in a statement yesterday.

“WEF — given its deep relationships with business, governments, international organisations, academia and subject matter experts — is also a great platform for Asean companies to better capitalise on opportunities to collaborate and engage with Asean governments, as well as with the rest of the world,” he added.

The RBC steering committee comprises several leading corporate leaders including James Riady (Lippo Group), Patrick Walujo (Northstar), Don Lam (VinaCapital), Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar (Khazanah Nasional Bhd), Tan Sri Tony Fernandes (AirAsia Bhd), Jaime Zobel Ayala (Ayala Corp), Tevin Vongvanich (PTT) and Teresita Sy-Coson (SM Investments).

Among the first initiatives to be launched by RBC in 2017 is a strategic infrastructure programme that promotes the concept of “blended finance” through both public and private capital.

Another priority project will be promoting small- and medium-sized enterprises to help them achieve regional scale and become the next generation of Asean-level corporates.