Malaysia says approved investments hit record high in 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Reuters) - Malaysia recorded 426.7 billion ringgit ($108.13 billion) in approved investments last year, a historic high for the country and an 11% jump from the previous record set in 2024, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Friday.

This includes 219.6 billion ringgit in domestic investments, as well as a 20% increase in foreign investments to 207.1 billion ringgit, Anwar said in a statement posted on X.

• A total of 8,390 projects have been approved, with the potential of creating nearly 245,000 jobs for Malaysians, Anwar said.

• Malaysia has received a slew of investments from global tech firms in recent years, as it positions itself as a growing hub for data centres in the region.

• At a related event on Friday, Deputy Trade Minister Sim Tze Tzin said investment appetite has not abated, with 29.1 billion ringgit in proposed investments involving 172 projects already in the pipeline for 2026.

• Sim said Malaysia also stood to benefit from geopolitical instability, referring to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

• "The opportunity is there for Malaysia to present itself, and for ASEAN to present itself, as a stable, neutral, peaceful region to attract more investment," he said.

• Malaysia's liquefied natural gas exports have little exposure to the conflict, Sim added.

• Sim said trade minister Johari Abdul Ghani will hold a video call with a U.S. trade official on Tuesday to discuss Malaysia's deal with Washington to lock in a tariff imposed on its exports to the United States at 19%. A U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month had declared most of the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump illegal.

($1 = 3.9460 ringgit)