Malaysia has secured RM190.3 billion in approved investments in the first half of 2025, an 18.7% increase year-on-year according to Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida).
Investment, trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said the approved investment growth demonstrates foreign and domestic investors’ continued trust in Malaysia’s clear policies and long-term industrial reform agenda.
“These have contributed to Malaysia’s strong economic fundamentals, which have held up amid a challenging global environment.
“The investment, trade and industry ministry and Mida are working closely with relevant ministries and agencies to ensure these commitments are implemented expeditiously to deliver meaningful outcomes,” he said in a statement.
According to Mida, 3,011 projects across the manufacturing, services and primary sectors are expected to generate 89,294 new jobs, which highlights the country’s ability to translate investment commitments into real economic impact.
Foreign investments surged 43.5% y-o-y, propelled by strong growth in services (+100.7%), manufacturing (+12.1%) and primary (+57.4%) sectors.
For approved investments based on foreign sources, Singapore led with RM43.4 billion, followed by China (RM23.4 billion), the United States (RM10.4 billion), the British Virgin Islands (RM6.6 billion) and Italy (RM3.3 billion).
Johor recorded the highest approved investment value of RM56 billion, followed by Selangor (RM34.7 billion), Kuala Lumpur (RM30.1 billion), Penang (RM18.9 billion) and Sabah (RM11.4 billion).
The focus sectors under the National Investment Aspirations (NIA) contributed RM88.3 billion, or 46.4% of total approved investments across various economic sectors.
Approvals span 426 projects and are expected to create 33,891 new jobs for Malaysians, demonstrating a strong alignment between the nation’s investment strategies and its development goals, it added.
Investment momentum holding strong
Mida chief executive officer Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid said Malaysia’s performance in attracting investments for 1H 2025 shows resilience.
“Despite a tumultuous global economy, Malaysia’s economy expanded by 4.4% in the second quarter (2Q) of 2025. Investment momentum is holding strong. This reflects the depth of our fundamentals and the trust investors place in our long-term direction,” he said.
Mida said the services sector accounted for RM118.6 billion in approved investments, or 62.3% of the total, comprising 2,476 projects. It recorded a y-o-y rise of 25.6%, with an estimated 42,576 job opportunities to be created.
It added that under the sector, domestic investments contributed RM66.6 billion (56.2%) and foreign investments, RM52.0 billion (43.8%).
Under the manufacturing sector, Malaysia secured RM68.4 billion, or 36%, in approved investments for 1H 2025, with the approval of 518 projects and 46,690 new job openings.
Notably, foreign investments accounted for 78% or RM53.3 billion of total approved investments in manufacturing, while domestic investments contributed RM15.1 billion, or 22%.
Meanwhile, the primary sector secured RM3.3 billion in approved investments across 17 projects, mainly in mining.
Domestic sources dominate approved investments at RM1.8 billion, or 54.2%. Foreign sources contributed RM1.5 billion, or 45.8%.
“At Mida, our role is to make that journey from interest to implementation as smooth as possible. Through the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre, we bring relevant agencies under one roof. Decisions can be made quickly, bottlenecks removed, and projects get off the ground swiftly.
“That is why over 85% of manufacturing projects approved since 2021 until June 2025 are being implemented. Every day, we see how this approach helps investors turn plans into action, creating jobs, building capacity and keeping Malaysia competitive even when global conditions are less than ideal,” said Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim.
Moving forward, Mida said Malaysia’s investment outlook remains resilient, supported by a steady flow of quality project proposals.
As at July 31, 2025, Mida has facilitated a solid pipeline of 385 potential projects, collectively valued at RM22.5 billion, comprising services (RM15.7 billion) and manufacturing (RM6.8 billion).
Mida is also in active discussions for an additional RM103.8 billion worth of high-impact investment leads, signalling sustained investor interest and confidence in Malaysia’s pro-business policies and long-term economic direction.
