Latest news with #RM60.4bil
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
M'sia secures RM90bil approved investments in 1Q
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has secured RM89.8bil in approved investments for the first quarter of financial year 2025 (1Q25), a steady 3.7% year-on-year increase despite a challenging global economic backdrop. In a statement yesterday, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) said these investments, spread across 1,556 projects in manufacturing, services, and primary sectors, are set to generate over 33,300 new employment opportunities for Malaysians. 'The results reflect continued investor confidence in the country's clear policies and long-term fundamentals, bucking the trend of cautious international capital flows due to geopolitical and macroeconomic volatility, and the intensifying global competition for fresh investments. 'Foreign investments dominated the investment landscape, contributing RM60.4bil or 67.3% of total investments, while domestic investments accounted for RM29.4bil or 32.7%,' it said. Besides job creation, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz said the increase in the Managerial, Technical, and Supervisory index to 46.3% from 44.2% in the same quarter last year reflects the country's success in creating higher-skilled, better-paying jobs. 'With a better integrated Asean economy, which we are working hard on as Asean chair, we are also paving the way for Malaysia's continued positioning as a manufacturing and services hub to this fast-growing 680-million strong region,' he said. He said the investment environment in 2025 is expected to remain challenging due to continued geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds from the US-China trade war. 'Nonetheless, although major markets' protectionist policies and supply chain frictions continue to weigh in on companies' investment decisions, Malaysia's clear policies should be able to attract more investments from Asia's growing economy, which is expected to expand to about 42% of global gross domestic product by 2040,' he said. Besides bringing in good jobs and business opportunities, Mida chief executive officer Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid said the projects secured by Mida for 1Q25 supported the national effort to build a more diversified and resilient economy. 'To remain a choice location for high-performing companies, we will strengthen our local ecosystem as enablers and prepare our workforce to seize new job and leadership opportunities.' — Bernama
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Malaysia records approved investments of US$21bil in 1Q
Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.— MUHAMAD SHAHRIL ROSLI/The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Approved investments in Malaysia rose by 3.7% in the first quarter from a year earlier to RM89.8bil (US$21.2bil ), the Malaysian Investment Development Authority said on Wednesday. Foreign investments were RM60.4bil, or two-thirds of the total, and domestic investments accounted for RM29.4bil, the authority said in a statement. "The investment environment in 2025 is expected to remain challenging due to continued geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds stemming from the U.S.-China trade war," Trade Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said in the statement. Tengku Zafrul said that while protectionist policies and supply-chain frictions would affect corporate decision-making, he expected Malaysia to attract more investment, given that the broader Asian economy was increasing its share of global GDP. The top three sources of foreign investment in the quarter were Singapore with RM28.3bil, the United States at RM9.9bil and China at RM7.9bil. The services sector attracted RM57.8bil on the approved investments, the authority said. - Reuters
