KUCHING, Aug 28: Sarawak is among the five top investment destinations in Malaysia in the
first half (1H) of 2026, from January to June, with a total of recorded approved projects worth
RM10.8 billion, mainly from offshore oil and gas exploration projects.
In a statement, the Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA) said that Selangor led
with RM70 billion across 835 projects, with its services sector attracting digital investments in
areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, cybersecurity, FinTech, cloud
computing, and Internet of Things (IoT).
Johor followed with RM59.4 billion, supported by the JS-SEZ and upcoming RTS Link
connectivity; Kuala Lumpur recorded RM26.6 billion, including residential and serviced
apartment developments linked to urban growth, transit-oriented development (TOD), and
demand for more accessible housing; and Penang secured RM20.2 billion.
Overall, approved investments in Malaysia reached RM218.5 billion, covering 2,746 projects
across the services, manufacturing, and primary sectors, up 11.7 per cent from the RM195.5
billion recorded in the same period in 2025.
These approved projects are expected to create 99,030 jobs once fully implemented, 8.4 per
cent more jobs than the first half of 2025. Meanwhile, foreign investments (FI) accounted for
RM126.9 billion, or 58.1 per cent of total approved investments, up 18.5 per cent year-on-year
(y-o-y).
Among the three sectors—services, manufacturing, and primary—services recorded the highest
total approved investments at RM149.6 billion, the manufacturing sector secured RM51.3 billion,
while the primary sector recorded RM17.6 billion.
“In manufacturing, an 88.2 per cent jump in project numbers and the shift of semiconductor
investment from back-end assembly towards front-end design and equipment clearly shows the
operationalisation of the National Semiconductor Strategy.
“Investor confidence has also been reinforced by structural reforms that lifted Malaysia's
standing in the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking for 2026, 15th place out of 70 economies,
Malaysia's best placing in over a decade.
“Guided by the New Industrial Master Plan 2030, MIDA will continue to prioritise and implement
investments that transfer technology, deepen local vendor participation and create high-value
jobs for Malaysians,” said MIDA chairman, Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.
As of Aug 10, 2026, MIDA was reviewing 227 proposals worth RM72.1 billion, 128 services
projects worth RM36.5 billion, and 99 manufacturing projects worth RM35.6 billion, with a further
RM58.4 billion in high-potential leads under discussion.
“Through the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre (IMFC) and close coordination across
ministries and agencies, we help investors clear regulatory and implementation hurdles quickly,
which is reflected in the 86.3 per cent of manufacturing projects approved since 2021 that have
already moved into implementation.
“Our engagement does not end at approvals—we stay involved to handhold projects and,
through #InvestLokal, deepen the participation of SMEs and local vendors, so that each ringgit
committed becomes real capacity and skilled employment for Malaysians,” said Datuk Sikh
Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, chief executive officer of MIDA. Credit: DayakDaily