8 hours Ago By Bernama
GEORGE TOWN: The total approved investments under the Malaysia Digital (MD) initiative reached RM16.2 billion from January to April this year, backed by strong global investor confidence, said Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.The minister said the investment momentum is expected to generate almost 6,500 job opportunities and reinforce Malaysia's position as a regional digital leader.
He said that out of the total approved investment, RM9.9 billion or more than 60 per cent, was contributed by data centres and cloud investments."From an innovation lens, AI (artificial intelligence) companies now make up the largest share of new MD status companies at 27 per cent, followed by data centres (23 per cent) and Global Business Services (11.
5 per cent)."Investor confidence in Malaysia remains strong. Our top five sources of foreign direct investments include the Netherlands, Singapore, Hong Kong, India and the United Kingdom, a reflection of our robust infrastructure and investor-friendly policies," he said when delivering his keynote speech at the MD Open Day 2025 here, today.
Also present were Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Jagdeep Singh Deo, Penang Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) non-executive chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.Therefore, Gobind said those achievements reaffirmed Malaysia's appeal as a leading digital investment destination and, more importantly, reflect the real-world impact we are driving across our economy and workforce.Elaborating, he said to date, Malaysia has hosted 3,891 active MD companies, including 254 in the northern region, and currently, Penang alone has attracted RM1.
23 billion in MD-approved investments, with 266 jobs expected to be created."While 93 per cent of these investments are driven by data centres and cloud, more than 60 per cent of job opportunities are in high-value sectors such as IC (integrated circuit) design and embedded software," he added.The MD Open Day 2025 is a dedicated platform for engagement between MD-status companies, investors, government agencies, and key stakeholders within Malaysia's digital economy ecosystem.
The event also marked the official launch of the Digital Ministry's northern regional office, reinforcing the government's commitment to regional empowerment and nationwide alignment.© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd.
