JAKARTA - Malaysia approved RM92.8 billion in investments across 1,249 projects from January to March 2026, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) said on June 8. The total was 0.2% lower than the RM93.0 billion approved in the first quarter of 2025. The projects are expected to create 50,226 jobs, up 46.7% year on year.

Services accounted for RM60.8 billion, or 65.5% of the approvals. Manufacturing contributed RM24.1 billion and the primary sector RM7.9 billion. Foreign investments made up RM56.2 billion, or 60.5% of the total. Domestic investments rose 13.0% year on year to RM36.6 billion.

Japan led foreign investment sources with RM21.5 billion, up from RM1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2025. China and the United States each accounted for RM10.1 billion. Singapore contributed RM6.7 billion and Thailand RM2.5 billion. MIDA reports the ranking on an ultimate-source basis.

MIDA Chairman Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said, “Malaysia’s Q1 2026 investment performance sends a clear signal – our economic fundamentals are strong.”

Information and communications accounted for RM38.9 billion in approvals. Data centres and cloud computing contributed RM34.6 billion across 33 projects, or 88.9% of the subsector total. A January 2026 UN Trade and Development report listed Malaysia among the world’s top 10 hosts of data-centre investments. It said global greenfield investment in data centres exceeded US$270 billion in 2025.

Manufacturing projects are expected to create 30,468 jobs, or 60.7% of the quarter’s projected employment. MIDA said 17.9% of the new manufacturing jobs offer monthly salaries above RM5,000. Electrical and electronics led manufacturing approvals with RM6.0 billion, followed by chemicals and chemical products with RM3.9 billion and machinery and equipment with RM3.5 billion.

The primary sector recorded RM7.9 billion across 17 approved projects, up 418.2% year on year. MIDA attributed the increase to oil and gas projects involving offshore development and exploration, particularly in Sarawak. Selangor received the highest approved investment value at RM33.5 billion. Johor and Kuala Lumpur each recorded RM16.9 billion.

MIDA said 85.0% of the 5,148 manufacturing projects approved by the National Committee on Investment between 2021 and February 2026 had reached stages ranging from production to factory construction and machinery installation.