Malaysia to continue focusing on infrastructure growth: Mustapa

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will continue to focus on infrastructure development and investment facilitation to further boost the inflow of foreign investments, said Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed yesterday.

Malaysia’s net foreign direct investments for the first nine months of 2013 recorded a positive growth of 8.7% at RM27.6 billion, compared with the RM25 billion in the corresponding period of last year.

“What we need to do is sustain investor interest in Malaysia by undertaking both infrastructure development and investment facilitation. We will continue to provide excellent services to all investors through agencies like the Malaysian Investment Development Authority and the Performance Management and Delivery Unit,” said Mustapa.

He said this in his speech at the inaugural Mida Forum yesterday.

Mustapa said infrastructure development continues to be the priority going forward as it is an important reason for investors flocking to Malaysia.

“At present, we are implementing the mass rapid transit system which is long overdue. Work is on track and Kuala Lumpur will in future have a much better public transport system,” he said.

According to Mustapa, the government will also continue to improve the airports.

The one-day forum was attended by more than 1,000 business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and investors, including about 400 international participants from 32 countries. — Bernama


This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on November 20, 2013.