Kuala Lumpur (VNA) - Malaysia remains a top destination for European and US investors even though the country has joined BRICS as a partner country, reported the national news agency Bernama.
The Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), in a written response published on the parliament’s website, informed that as of December 2024, a total of 56 potential projects with an investment commitment of nearly 20 billion MYR (4.4 billion USD) have been identified and are set to be implemented in the country.
It stated that large international companies such as Intel, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, Google, and Plexus continued to commit to investing or increasing their investments in Malaysia, making the country one of the primary destinations for over 600 US companies.
According to the ministry, Malaysia’s involvement in BRICS also opens up broader market access, especially with countries that do not have free trade agreements with Malaysia, such as Russia, Brazil, South Africa, and India.
In 2024, Malaysia’s trade with the US and European countries hit 325 billion MYR (78 billion USD) and 263 billion MYR (58.9 billion USD), year on year increases of 30% and 4%./.

See more

Myanmar detains 200 foreigners for online gambling, fraud
The Myanmar government is working with the international community to identify and crack down on crimes, including illegal online gambling and online fraud.

Thailand to repatriate thousands of scam centre workers from Myanmar
Some 5,000 Chinese nationals will be sent home, with an average number of 1,000 a week, starting next week, the Thai Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told reporters.

Ramadan begins in Indonesia
Throughout the holy month, Muslims devote time to deep reflection and prayer. They fast from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from food and drink while focusing on good deeds and strengthening their faith.

Cambodia deports 119 Thai call centre workers
The detained Thais admitted to crossing into Cambodia illegally to engage in online criminal activities, drawn by promises of high wages.

ASEAN ready to adopt AEC Strategic Plan 2026-2030
As ASEAN Chair, Malaysia aims to enhance intra-ASEAN trade and investment while also leading efforts to explore and expand economic cooperation and partnerships beyond the region.

Thai PM pledges to step up economic growth
In her weekly Empowering Thais programme on March 2 morning, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the Southeast Asian country's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by only 2.5% last year because it had not invested substantially in new industries and had not prepared the people for future industries over the past decade.

Malaysia launches AI adaptation guidelines for public sector
The 158-page guidelines provide an overview of AI, ethical principles, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, risk management, adaptation methods, and self-assessment templates to help identify the scope and impact of AI within the public sector.

Thailand arrests Singaporean man suspected of global cyber attacks
The suspect, identified by police as Chia, is accused of hacking into dozens of companies, stealing sensitive data and selling it on the dark web.

TikTok to invest 8.8 billion USD in Thailand
The investment includes training programmes for businesses and creators, anti-fraud campaigns, and a new data hosting service to enhance local cloud capabilities.

Thai rice faces mounting competition, high costs
President of the Thai Rice Exporters AssociatioCharoen Laothammatas predicted that the figure will reach 7.5 million tonnes this year, a 24.2% drop from last year’s 9.94 million tonmes.

ASEAN plays central role in maintaining regional stability: Former Malaysian FM
Former Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said that ASEAN has always played a critical role in fostering regional security. Its strength lies in its ability to bring nations together despite their differences.

Singapore army invests in uncrewed systems to address manpower shortages
The declining number of service members as the “greatest internal challenge” facing the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). To tackle this, Singapore is increasing automation and assigning conscripts and national reservists, known as “NSmen,” to roles aligned with their civilian expertise to boost efficiency and effectiveness.

Indonesia to adjust coal price policy
Vietnam, a key importer of Indonesian coal, imported 2.49 billion USD worth in 2024. Coal remains Vietnam’s largest import from Indonesia, contributing significantly to the 4.34 billion USD in total imports from the country

Thailand launches ‘Summer Festivals’ to boost tourism
The Thai government has unveiled its “Thailand Summer Festivals” campaign, which aims to boost tourism and the creative economy through a series of festive celebrations scheduled from March to September.

China, Thailand coordinate to repatriate citizens in cross-border crime crackdown
The operation, conducted in accordance with Chinese and Thai laws, international regulations and established practices, is one example of ongoing collaboration between the two nations to address transnational criminal activities, China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) said.

Vietnam attends Islam-Buddhism Summit in Cambodia
Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Nguyen Minh Vu participated in the Islam-Buddhism Summit in Phnom Penh on February 27. The event focused on sharing experience in fostering peaceful religious coexistence, cooperation, and harmony in the region and the world.

Indonesia discovers new blind cave fish species
This freshwater fish is completely blind, with its eyes degenerated into hollow structures covered by skin.

New Zealand media highlight upgrade of ties with Vietnam
Other prominent New Zealand news outlets, including rnz.co.nz, 1news.co.nz, and scoop.co.nz, also featured the announcement, highlighting the elevation of the bilateral relationship.

Philippines: 8 people killed in fire in Manila residential area
The fire started on the second floor at 2:01 am and was extinguished after 40 minutes.

Thai central bank cuts interest rate to 2%
The Thai central bank's Monetary Policy Committee voted 6-1 to reduce the one-day repurchase rate to 2% to address clearer downside risks to the economy.