KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 24): The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) must ensure that approved investments are realised to create job opportunities for the people as well as benefit local businesses.

Its chairman, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, said efforts to attract investments to Malaysia must not stop at the approval stage, instead they must translate into the construction of factories and company operations.

“We must ensure that factories are built, companies begin operations, job opportunities are created and local businesses also benefit. This is what I emphasised at Mida’s board of directors meeting and management retreat this week,” he said in a post on the X platform on Saturday.

Zafrul said Malaysia recorded RM218.50 billion in approved investments in the first half of 2026, an increase of 11.7% compared with the same period last year, which is expected to create more than 99,000 job opportunities.

“Investments of RM218.50 billion...that is a huge figure. But what do the people gain from it? To me, that is the most important question every time we announce the country’s investment figures.

“For young people who have just graduated, they want to know whether there are good job opportunities available. Parents want to see their children build a future with a more comfortable income. Business owners, meanwhile, hope for more opportunities to expand their businesses,” he said.

He said these were among the objectives that Malaysia’s investment promotion efforts aimed to achieve.

Zafrul said Mida, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year, must continue to adapt its working methods to meet current needs.

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