Claims Multibillion-ringgit Investments Failed Are Baseless - Anwar

PUTRAJAYA, July 21 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has dismissed claims that multibillion-ringgit investments have not produced any results.

He emphasised that investments in the manufacturing sector continue to have a positive impact on the national economy, with the benefits being directly felt by the people through increased job opportunities, higher wages, and greater value added to industries.

Anwar said that 3,494 manufacturing investment projects had been approved by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) from 2021 to June 2025, of which 3,095 projects, or 86.4 per cent, had been realised and are now operational.

He noted that the overall annual implementation rate of these approved projects stood at 90.6 per cent in 2023 and 79.2 per cent in 2024, while for the first quarter of 2025, the implementation rate was 49.8 per cent.

“They say, ‘billions in investment, but where are the results? There is nothing to show’. In reality, 86 per cent of the approved projects are already operational. 

“As such, I have informed the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz to continue displaying this data and to highlight the locations of these operational projects in Kulim, Johor, Sarawak, Sabah, and the Klang Valley,” Anwar said in his speech at the Prime Minister’s Department (PMO) monthly assembly here today.

He said the majority of these realised projects are in the manufacturing sector, with a focus on digital and green industries.

Anwar highlighted that the implementation of these projects had created 50,000 new job opportunities in the manufacturing sector in the first quarter of 2025.

During the same period, the median wage in the manufacturing sector increased by 5.4 per cent to RM2,745, compared to RM2,600 last year, in line with the implementation of the new minimum wage of RM1,700.

The prime minister also noted that since the establishment of the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre (IMFC) in December 2023, a total of 28,166 investor applications had been facilitated, with a 99.9 per cent resolution rate.

These applications covered various matters, including approvals, permits, foreign worker quotas, utilities, and taxation.

“This shows the role of the civil service machinery in carrying out its duties. It is not just about what I announce. When the civil service plays its part efficiently and effectively, we must acknowledge and recognise it,” he said.

-- BERNAMA