Global instability is nothing new, but the past few years have seen numerous flashpoints come to the fore around the world. This leaves many companies in a quandary over whether to stay in an unsettled location, how to insure themselves, and how to keep the locals on side should they choose to stay put. 

Protests have been rumbling on in Pakistan since August but, undeterred by this less than favourable domestic backdrop, the country's minister of state for privatisation is pushing ahead with bold privatisation plans.

The Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur is a popular destination for tourists, and is rising in prominence as a finance and business hub for the south-east Asia region. Barbara Njau charts the city's progress.

Kuala Lumpur is the eighth most visited city globally, with tourists flocking to attractions such as the Petronas Twin Towers. However, concerns over the city's inadequate transport networks are frequently voiced, something local officials are rectifying with a series of new projects.

Malaysia's minister of international trade and industry, Mustapa bin Mohamed, tells Barbara Njau that Kuala Lumpur's role has been and remains integral to Malaysia's rise as a global trade hub.

Idris Jala, CEO of the Malaysian government's business development unit Pemandu, tells Barbara Njau why Kuala Lumpur's private sector is driving many of the city's improvements.

While much of the oil and gas activity in Malaysia takes place away from Kuala Lumpur, the city has established itself as a global leader in energy terms, with foreign energy firms increasingly coming to the capital to establish a south-eastern Asian base.

While the political relationship between China and Japan remains tense, Chinese FDI into Japan has been picking up pace, with investors keen to take advantage of economic synergies between the two countries.

Over the past two decades, Malaysia has established itself as one of the world's leading low-cost electrical component manufacturers. However, thanks to academic institutions such as Kuala Lumpur's Mimos ICT centre of innovation, the country is looking to rise up the value chain in this sector.