Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia’s total approved investments have surpassed 1 trillion MYR (about 250 billion USD) over the past three years, underscoring strong investor confidence and the country’s resilience amid global uncertainties, according to Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin.
Latest data from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) showed that the country recorded 426.7 billion MYR in approved investments in 2025, the highest level on record and an 11% increase from 2024.
A total of 8,390 projects were approved during the year, with the potential to create 244,902 jobs for Malaysians.
Notably, there was a balance between domestic and foreign direct investment (FDI). Domestic investment reached 219.6 billion MYR, accounting for 51.5% of the total approved capital, reflecting businesses' confidence in Malaysia's institutions, direction, and future.
Meanwhile, foreign investment is projected to increase sharply by 20.9% to 207.1 billion MYR in 2025. Singapore, China, the US, Japan, and Hong Kong (China) were the top five foreign investors.
Malaysia's services sector remained the biggest driver of investment growth in 2025. The sector attracted 281.3 billion MYR in approved investments across more than 7,000 projects, expected to create over 130,000 new jobs. Meanwhile, the manufacturing sector drew 131.3 billion MYR in approved investments in 2025 across more than 1,300 projects, creating nearly 110,000 jobs.
While acknowledging that 2026 could be a challenging year due to global trade uncertainties and geopolitical risks, Sim said Malaysia’s political stability and ASEAN’s growing role as an investment hub would help sustain investor interest./.
