Exports are expected to balloon to RM10 billion by 2010 from a minuscule figure in the 1990’s, particularly from Peninsular Malaysia as well as Sarawak and to a lesser extent, Sabah, according to the latest statistical projection by both the government and the industrial section at the recent Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) in Kuala Lumpur.

Presently, the annual exports of furniture by Malaysia have reached RM8 billion. What this indicates is the enormous success achieved by the policy introduced two decades ago to step up furniture manufacturing for the domestic and export markets using local timber resources, including rubber wood. Indeed, when old rubber estates gave way to the opening of land for oil palm cultivation, the rubber wood had not gone to waste.

Treating rubber wood for downstream processing such as furniture making, and introducing new manufacturing concepts and designs to add more value and finished product quality have won the day for Malaysia as evidenced by home-made furniture having won universal acceptance in spite of strong competition from the more established foreign manufacturers, especially in North Asia and Europe. Read more »

THE furniture industry is not all that different from the fashion industry, based on what SJI Industries Sdn Bhd managing director Benny Poh said.

Furniture makers have to work a few seasons in advance like the fashion houses. And they also have to predict what will become the next big trend.

“Furniture is no longer just a piece of wood. It has now become like fashion,” Poh told StarBiz. “Thus you have to be competitive and avoid pitfalls by selling at lower prices.”

According to him, players should offer higher value-added products rather than compete on pricing.

In addition, he said, they should learn how to market their products effectively. Read more »

MALAYSIA’S furniture exports for 2006 are likely to have hit RM8 billion, 5 per cent more than RM7.67 billion in 2005.

“Last year’s furniture exports should surpass the previous one. After all, from January to October, we had already earned RM6.73 billion in foreign revenue,” Malaysia Furniture Entrepreneur Association (MFEA) president Cha Hoo Peng told Business Times in a telephone interview from Penang.

He referred to statistics gathered by government agencies Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) and Bank Negara.

Malaysia’s exports are mainly contributed by about 1,000 local furniture makers clustered in Peninsular Malaysia with a high concentration of factories in Johor (Muar and Kluang), Selangor (Klang and Sg Buloh), Malacca (Bukit Rambai) and Seberang Prai (Sg Bakap).

Collectively, they ship their furniture to top export destinations in the US, the UK, Japan, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. Read more »

Malaysia’s furniture exports last year are estimated at over RM7bil, up from RM6.9bil in 2005, Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry parliamentary secretary Datuk Dr Vijayaratnam said.

“This upward trend is expected to continue,” he said yesterday after gracing the Pre-Exhibition Symposium on World Furniture Review, organised by MIFF Sdn Bhd. The event was a prelude to the annual Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2007 (MIFF 2007) to be held from March 6 to 10.

The Government had also set a target of at least an 8% increase this year, Vijayaratnam said, adding that for 2006, the US, Japan, Europe and the Middle East remained the largest importers of local furniture. Read more »

The Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2007 will be held from 6 – 10 March 2007 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Taking place for the 13th time, the show has grown both in size and repute. With the introduction of another venue, the total size of the show will be 75,000 sqm (675,000 sq. ft). The introduction of a 3rd venue is a response to the influx of exhibitors from across the globe.

The overwhelming response to MIFF 2006, paved the way for an even wider variety of designs, varying from modern, fusion to traditional that will be presented at MIFF 2007.

The timely inclusion of the MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre (MECC) as a MIFF venue, promises to compliment the existing venues, PWTC and KLCC. MECC, the latest edition of convention centre’s in Asia, is strategically located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. A short distance apart, organisers will ensure a continuous stream of 80 busses will be available throughout the duration of the fair to ferry buyers between all three venues.

Visitors arriving for the show will find it easy to get to each location. With the 15 minute short journey traversing the golden triangle of cosmopolitan KL, buyers will get to enjoy wonderful architectural sights set across the green city. Read more »

Held for the first time at two venues, the Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2006 (MIFF 2006) recently concluded successfully paving way for the launch of MIFF 2007. The 12th MIFF series was held simultaneously at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) and the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in Kuala Lumpur from 7 – 11 March 2006 was biggest by far.

On opening day more than 3,900 international visitors visited the show, surpassing all previous records.

“MIFF 2006 is far better than the furniture exhibitions held earlier in Singapore and Indonesia. If it is just rattan furniture you want, then Indonesia is perfect. At MIFF 2006, you have furniture of every design and made from a variety of raw materials Russians prefer their furniture with traditional designs. They like wooden furniture with country designs.” exclaimed Mr Savchenko Vitaly, a buyer from Russia. Read more »

THE 30 exhibitors participating in the five-day Malaysia Furniture City’s spring market buying season will probably go home disappointed.

It opened yesterday to lukewarm response as it competes for buyers with two furniture trade show series, namely the Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) and the Export Furniture Exhibition (EFE).

The MIFF 2006 is being held at Putra World Trade Centre and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre while the EFE series is being held at the Asia Pacific Auction Centre in Subang. Read more »

AFTER 12 years of exhibiting in Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), the Malaysian International Furniture Fair (MIFF) is being expanded this year, with the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) as additional exhibition venue.

MIFF 2006 has 440 exhibitors, from 17 countries, spread over five halls in PWTC and five halls in KLCC.

Rubelli, a sofa company, used the fair as a platform to introduce some new designs made by its factories in JiaXing city, China. Read more »

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak gave an assurance Tuesday that the Malaysian furniture industry has no correlation with illegal logging activities.

“Eighty percent of Malaysian furniture are from rubberwood and the materials are not from the illegal loggers you see on television,” he told reporters after launching the Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2006 here.

He was replying to a question on how the government was going to ensure that the furniture industry did not contribute to illegal logging. Read more »

MALAYSIAN furniture makers will have the chance to make inroads into new markets with the help of the Malaysian External Trade Development Corp (Matrade).

Matrade is bringing in 197 buyers and importers, from 140 firms and 15 countries, to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow and they are expected to clinch deals with the country’s furniture makers and exporters.

“Except for Japan, most of these buyers and importers come from the non-traditional markets for Malaysian furnitures,” Matrade director for Asia/Africa division Dzulkifli Mahmud told Business Times. Read more »