KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia Feb 26 (NNN-Bernama) — Domestic and foreign direct investments in Malaysia hit RM235.9 billion in 2014, up 7.52 per cent, from RM219.4 billion received in 2013, said International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed. Domestic Direct Investments (DDIs) accounted for RM171.3 billion or 72.6 per cent of total investments, a bulk of which was in the manufacturing, services and primary sector, while the remaining RM64.6 billion or 27.4 per cent came from foreign direct investments (FDIs). In 2013, DDIs stood at RM159.94 billion while FDIs amounted to RM59.45 billion. Mustapa said the country’s investment performance in 2014 exceeded the average annual investments target of RM148 billion set under the 10th Malaysia Plan. The ratio of FDIs and DDIs was in line with the government’s drive to actively promote domestic investments, as outlined in the Economic Transformation Programme and the 10th Malaysia Plan, he said at a press conference to...

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) — Malaysia aims to attract investments worth RM56 billion in the manufacturing sector in 2015, a modest target compared with the RM71.9 billion it received last year. Minister of International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said the manufacturing sector has remained attractive to investors, with approved investments in the sector surging by 38 per cent to RM71.9 billion in 2014 compared with RM52.1 billion in 2013. For the services sector, excluding real estate, the government expects to attract RM64.5 billion in investments this year, the minister said after revealing the country’s Investment Performance Report 2014 here, Thursday. Despite a challenging external environment this year, Mustapa said he still expects a moderate outlook for the investment climate in Malaysia. He said currently there are RM65.1 billion worth of on-going projects — RM51.4 billion in the manufacturing sector and RM13.7 billion in the...

KUALA LUMPUR (Feb 26): Malaysia will increase incentives for companies to relocate operations to the country as it seeks more foreign investments to bolster growth. Approved direct investments rose to a record 235.9 billion ringgit ($65.5 billion) last year from 219.4 billion in 2013, International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed said in Kuala Lumpur today. Domestic investments accounted for about 73 percent of the total, he said. Prime Minister Najib Razak is dismantling decades of subsidies and increasing his focus on luring foreign investment, boosting education standards and adding high-quality jobs to propel the economy into developed status by the end of this decade. The government is depending on the private sector to drive capital spending as it cuts operating expenditure to narrow a budget deficit. “We are planning to introduce tax and location incentives for principal hub companies and the details are still being worked” out, Mustapa told reporters....

KUALA LUMPUR: Approved investments climbed for the fourth consecutive year in 2014, rising to a new high of RM235.9bil compared with RM219.4bil recorded in 2013, said International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

Domestic investments accounted for 72.6% of the total while new investments in the manufacturing sector rose 38% to RM71.9bil.

The approved projects last year would create 178,360 new jobs, Mustapa said.

He said the Government was setting a modest target of RM56bil for approved projects in the manufacturing sector amid a more challenging global economic outlook.

“We are planning to introduce tax and location incentives for principal hub companies,” Mustapa said at an economic event organised by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) yesterday. The Government, he said, would include customised incentives to attract more foreign investors.

The economy expanded 6% in 2014, boosted by steady growth in the construction and...

KUALA LUMPUR 26 Feb. – Malaysia mencatat pelaburan langsung diluluskan sebanyak RM235.9 bilion pada 2014 berbanding RM219.4 bilion bagi tahun sebelumnya. Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed berkata, sektor perkhidmatan menyumbang bahagian terbesar daripada jumlah pelaburan iaitu RM149.6 bilion diikuti sektor perkilangan iaitu RM71.9 bilion manakala sektor utama menyumbang RM14.4 bilion. Katanya, jumlah pelaburan itu yang diluluskan daripada 5,942 projek dijangka menjana 178,360 peluang pekerjaan terutama dalam teknologi tinggi dan industri yang mempunyai nilai tambah. “Bagaimanapun, berdasarkan prestasi 2014, kita menjangkakan pertumbuhan sederhana bagi pelaburan diluluskan pada tahun ini. Setakat ini, projek sedia ada bagi tahun ini sudah berjumlah RM65.1 bilion,” katanya dalam sidang akhbar selepas pengumuman prestasi pelaburan 2014 di sini hari ini. Yang turut hadir, Timbalan Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Datuk Ir....

KOTA BARU: Asean senior officials have expressed confidence that the draft of the Post-2015 Economic Vision and Plan will be completed by the middle of the year. International Trade and Industry Deputy Ministry Secretary-General (Trade) Mohd Rizal Sheriff said the draft would spell out a new and bold plan to chart the direction for deeper regional integration for the 2016-2025 period. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Eight Meeting of High-Level Task Force on Asean Economic Integration here yesterday, he said the discussion on the preparation of the draft was progressing well and the commitment from the 10 member countries was very strong. “The meeting has been going on for almost a year now and we are quite optimistic about the next 10 years. “We hope that the final draft document will be ready for internal perusal before it is announced by the leaders in November,” he said. Bernama reported that Mohd Rizal, who chaired the meeting, said although the draft...

GEORGE TOWN (Feb 28): Penang moved up one notch to the third spot with the highest number of approved investments in the country last year, after Johor and Sarawak. Penang approved local and foreign investments totalling RM8.2 billion in 2014, a 109% jump from the previous year. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state approved foreign investments amounting to RM5.1 billion and RM3.04 billion in  domestic investments last year. “In 2013, our total proposed capital investment was RM3.9 billion and we were ranked No. 4,” he told a news conference to announce the investment figures released by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) yesterday. “This (2014) is good results, although it is more important that we receive quality investments. “It should not be typical industries but those that can add value, be high-tech and are knowledge intensive,” Lim said. He added that the investments in Penang were widely distributed between local and foreign businesses...

 

KOTA BAHARU, Kelantan state, Malaysia March 1 (NNN-Bernama) — The 21st ASEAN Economic Ministers’ (AEM) Retreat reaches its peak when all economic ministers of ASEAN and the organisation secretary General, Le Luong Minh, meet Sunday. The last day of the retreat kick start with a briefing by the chairman of ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid on the feedback from the private sector on the ASEAN Economic Community. Mohd Munir would also submit seven proposals, covering eight sectors, to be implemented before the AEC kickoff to smoothen the region’s integration as a single economy as well as previous outstanding proposals such as ASEAN business card and ASEAN lane at all international entry points. Among the proposals that will be submitted are the setting up of the ASEAN Youth Entrepreneur Association and the ASEAN Women Entrepreneur Association to address the needs of two of the major groups in the region’s demographic structure. Also to be...