KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s approved investments for the primary, services and manufacturing sectors rose by 18.8% to RM57.4bil in the first quarter of this year (1Q15), from RM48.3bil in the same period of 2014.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamad said the manufacturing sector was the major contributor, accounting for 58.5% of the total or an equivalent of RM33.6bil, followed by services (38.9% or RM22.3bil) and primary (2.6% or RM1.5bil).
“This increase comes despite the World Bank’s lower growth forecast for the Malaysian economy for 2015.
“It reflects the faith of investors in Malaysia as an attractive investment destination and the country’s ability to hold its own in an increasingly competitive environment,” he said at the Malaysia Investment Performance 1Q15 announcement on Monday.
Mustapa said the bulk of investments came from domestic sources, which contributed RM47.4bil or 82.6%, and the rest by foreign investors.
