KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) had recently hosted its first major engagement of the year, the Media Appreciation High-Tea and Networking Session, themed “Strengthening Partnerships for Investment Success”.
Held at Aloft Hotel, Kuala Lumpur Sentral, the event brought together nearly 60 media representatives, including senior editors, bureau chiefs and journalists from major news organisations, to align on Malaysia’s investment narrative and priorities for 2026.
The session served as a strategic curtain-raiser for the year, featuring addresses by MIDA Chairman Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Abdul Aziz and MIDA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid. Renowned economist Dr Anthony Dass provided economic context through a briefing on the 2026 investment outlook, highlighting increasing capital selectivity and intensifying regional competition amid projected flat global capital flows of about US$1.5 trillion.
Focus on converting approvals into impact
Tengku Zafrul said 2026 must focus on converting investment approvals into productive capacity and tangible benefits for Malaysian households.
He noted that in the first nine months of 2025, 55 percent of approved investments were driven by domestic investors, but a “perception gap” remains as many local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are not fully aware of the range of government facilities and support available, including those offered by MIDA.
“Approvals alone do not build industries. What matters is how those approvals translate into real projects, quality jobs and stronger local supply chains,” he said.
“Supporting SMEs, which form a large part of Malaysia’s middle class, means expanding opportunity. That begins by ensuring Malaysian businesses know how to access MIDA’s holistic support.”
Strategic priorities for 2026
To support this shift, MIDA outlined several initiatives aimed at making investment facilitation more seamless, ecosystem-driven and outcome-focused.
The Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre (IMFC), established in December 2023, has facilitated more than 45,000 issues to date. In 2025 alone, over 27,000 issues were resolved, a 60 percent year-on-year increase, with 1,631 projects, or 81.9 percent, successfully implemented. The IMFC model will be expanded to Penang and Sarawak.
MIDA also announced the rollout of a New Incentive Framework (NIF), which shifts from volume-based incentives to outcome-driven investments, with emphasis on technology upgrading, automation, decarbonisation and workforce development. Implementation will begin with the manufacturing sector in the first quarter of 2026, followed by the services sector in the second quarter.
Other initiatives include the #InvestLokal communication campaign to reposition MIDA as a partner to domestic investors, regional flagship programmes to deepen collaboration with state governments, and the Investment Coordination Platform (ICP), which helps Malaysian companies address financing gaps, pursue mergers and acquisitions and prepare for initial public offerings.
To date, MIDA’s ICP has engaged more than 80 companies on a one-to-one basis.
In addition, MIDA is developing a One-Stop Portal (OSP) to unify federal and state stakeholders on a single digital platform, enabling parallel approvals to address investor pain points.
Media as partners in nation-building
MIDA CEO Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim said the media play a crucial role in shaping an informed and confident business community.
“The media are not just channels of communication; you are our partners in nation-building. As we strengthen our focus on domestic investment and investor facilitation in 2026, your role becomes even more critical,” he said.
Invoking the Malay proverb “Khabar angin membawa rebah, khabar benar membawa teguh” (Rumours bring collapse, truth brings strength), Tengku Zafrul called on the media to highlight the domestic dimension when covering major foreign investments and to showcase Malaysian SME success stories alongside headline figures.
Through stronger data access, deeper newsroom engagement and the sharing of local success stories, MIDA aims to ensure Malaysia’s investment narrative in 2026 is competitive, inclusive and people-centric, reflecting the vital role of domestic capital mobilisation in shaping the nation’s economic future. (Bernama)
