Najib visits Facebook and Google offices

Google executive Caesar Sengupta (left) taking Najib on a tour around the Google headquarters at Mountain View, San Francisco. - BERNAMA

SAN FRANCISCO: It was another enlightening day for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in the Silicon Valley as he met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and visited the Google office.

Najib, who is on a three-day working visit to the Silicon Valley, spent half a day each at  the social media giant's' head office in Menlo Park and the search engine headquarters in Mountain View on Tuesday.

"The experience is very very interesting, an eye-opener not only products but also the lifestyle, especially the culture of innovation.

"How do we promote the culture of innovation. It's not about the hardware, it's not about the regulations and incentives but also about the way of live and the culture of innovation which is important because that's the underpinning for innovation to really succeed," he told the Malaysian media following him on the trip.

The Prime Minister said during his visit to Facebook, the company had expressed a willingness to work with the Malaysian Government on its efforts to further engage the people to learn more on what they wanted.

Najib opens Khazanah office in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak officiated Khazanah Nasional Berhad's regional office for the Amerikas, Khazanah Americas Incorporated (KAI), in San Francisco Sunday.

He hoped that the opening of this office would help propel Malaysia into a developed nation status by the year 2020.

The Prime Minister said Malaysia's visionary ambitions to reach a developed nation status by 2020 could be achieved by moving up the value chain and creating an economy driven by knowledge, innovation and technology.

Najib said this when officiating the office located at the 45th Floor, 101 California Street, San Francisco, the third Khazanah's regional office after Beijing and Mumbai.

Also present were his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek; Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh; Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin; Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Director, San Francisco Mayor's Office of International Trade and Commerce Mark Chandler.