Malaysia’s approved investments in H1 up 18.7%

Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia has secured 190.3bn ringgit ($44.98bn) in approved investments during the first half of 2025, an 18.7 percent increase year-on-year, official data showed Friday.

The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) said in a statement that a total of 3,011 projects across the manufacturing, services, and primary sectors are expected to generate 89,294 new jobs.

Foreign investments accounted for a significant 56.1 percent or 106.8bn ringgit of the total approved investments, while domestic investments contributed 43.9 percent or 83.5bn ringgit.

The foreign investments surged 43.5 percent year-on-year, with Singapore emerging as the leading source country with 43.4bn ringgit.

The services sector’s share accounts for 118.6bn ringgit of the total approved investments, showing a significant 25.6 percent year-on-year increase.

The manufacturing sector’s share of approved investments is 68.4bn ringgit, growing 13.8 percent year-on-year.

“Malaysia’s 18.7 percent year-on-year growth in approved investments for the first half demonstrates foreign and domestic investors’ continued trust in our clear policies and long-term industrial reform agenda,” said Tengku Zafrul Aziz, minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI).

“These have contributed to Malaysia’s strong economic fundamentals, which have clearly held up our economy even amid a challenging global environment,” he added. — Xinhua