KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s 11 trade investment missions have generated potential investments worth RM82.6bil as of September this year, the Dewan Rakyat was informed.
The Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) stated that RM30.9bil (37.41%) of these investments have already been approved, while RM26.8bil (32.45%) is expected to be finalised this year.
“Another RM30.4bil (36.8%) is expected to be finalised between 2025 and 2027,” the ministry said in a written reply on Thursday (Oct 24).
The trade missions were conducted in Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Japan, India, Singapore, and Thailand.
Six of these 11 missions were led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, according to Miti.
In 2023, RM353.6bil worth of investments were generated through 12 mission trips. Of that, RM32.8bil (9.28%) in approved investments is expected to create more than 6,400 job opportunities.
RM29bil in 2023 investments is expected to be finalised by year’s end, while the remaining RM289.4bil is targeted for completion between 2025 and 2027, the ministry added.
The ministry explained that realised investments refer to projects that have already commenced operations, and are in the process of constructing facilities or setting up machines and equipment.
“Factory projects generally take between 18 to 24 months to be realised, depending on their complexity, scale, and economic conditions,” it said.
The ministry noted that larger investments require longer periods to come to fruition, adding that they are closely monitoring the matter and holding strategic discussions with investors.
“The follow-up process is critical to ensure all committed investments are implemented within an optimum timeframe,” Miti said.
The ministry, along with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, is ensuring that each potential investment receives full government support.
“Through this collaboration, we are confident that Malaysia will continue to be a global investment destination, generating high-quality job opportunities and contributing to the country’s long-term economic growth,” it added.
Miti's statement was in response to a query from Datuk Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Pakatan Harapan-Balik Pulau), who asked about the value and status of realised foreign investments compared to those announced by the Prime Minister during overseas visits.
