Malaysia records RM225bil in approved investments

 

Investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said foreign direct investments constituted 55.9% of the total approved investments.

KUALA LUMPUR: Investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz says Malaysia’s initiatives to facilitate investment have led to the approval of RM225 billion in investments.

“This spans the services, manufacturing, and primary sectors from January to September this year.

“This is anticipated to generate 89,495 job opportunities, demonstrating Malaysia’s resilience amid global uncertainties in diverse industries,” he said in a press conference today.

Tengku Zafrul said foreign direct investments (FDI) constituted 55.9% of the total approved investments at RM125.7 billion.

“The Netherlands emerged as the leading source of FDI, contributing RM35 billion. Notably, Malaysia also attracted substantial investments from Singapore (RM20.4 billion), the United States (RM18.9 billion), China (RM11.6 billion), and Japan (RM11.2 billion).

“This diversity of investors highlights Malaysia’s universal appeal as a strategic hub, particularly for the Asean region,” he said.

Last month, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia was optimistic that FDIs from Japan would exceed RM30 billion in 2023, signifying Japanese investors’ unwavering confidence in the country.

Meanwhile, Tengku Zafrul said domestic direct investments contributed RM99.3 billion, or 44.1% of the total approved investments.

“This represents an impressive increase of 45.2% year-on-year, a testament to local players’ confidence in the country’s prospects,” he said.

According to Tengku Zafrul, the five states that garnered significant investments are Kuala Lumpur (RM48.9 billion), Penang (RM44.9 billion), Selangor (RM41.6 billion), Kedah (RM22.6 billion), and Johor (RM20 billion).

“Collectively, these states accounted for 60.2% of the total approved investments for the reported period,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul also said the Malaysian manufacturing sector attracted a total of RM99.8 billion in approved investments, accounting for 44.4% of the total approved investments across all sectors.

“This marks a significant increase of 53.9% from the RM64.9 billion recorded in the same period in 2022.

“These investments are spread across 607 projects, poised to generate an estimated 48,496 job opportunities.

“FDI takes a significant lead, contributing RM84.8 billion or 85.0%, while domestic direct investment accounts for RM15 billion or 15%,” said Tengku Zafrul. - FMT