Chinese investors eye major aluminium investment in Sarawak, says Zahid

 The deputy prime minister says the proposed investment will expand production to meet demand from the construction, automotive, and other industrial sectors.

Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said efforts to attract Chinese investors form part of a broader strategy to channel investments into rural areas, particularly in high-tech manufacturing.

BEIJING:

Chinese investors have expressed interest in financing large-scale aluminium production at the Samalaju Industrial Park in Bintulu, Sarawak, said deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid said the proposed investment could expand production capacity for aluminium-based products to meet demand from the construction, automotive and other industrial sectors, while opening up access to new global markets.

He said the high-impact investment was discussed during a meeting with Chinese investors and business leaders today, the third day of his working visit to China.

At a press conference after the meeting, Zahid said efforts to attract Chinese investors formed part of a broader strategy to channel investments into rural areas, particularly in high-tech manufacturing.

He said incentives announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim under the 2027 budget, particularly those targeting investments outside designated industrial zones, could also help attract foreign investors.

“During this working visit and series of meetings, numerous areas were identified, with my focus directed towards high-tech manufacturing.

“For instance, there is interest in investing in the Samalaju Industrial Park in Sarawak. They intend to leverage their existing markets while also penetrating new ones, and the investment is expected to be massive,” he said.

The proposed investment remains subject to approval by the Sarawak government and the investment, trade and industry ministry.

Zahid said he would inform the Malaysian Investment Development Authority and the ministry about establishing a one-stop centre to facilitate Chinese investors in realising their investment plans in Malaysia.

“The influx of investment could create job opportunities for young people while facilitating technology transfer and technical skills development through technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions.

“The ‘factory teaching’ approach, which involves learning in a factory environment, could also be adopted to give TVET students practical exposure to high-tech technical fields,” he said. - FMT