ISKANDAR PUTERI, Sept 20 — Budget 2026 is expected to include policies aimed at boosting investment inflows, upgrading automation and digitalisation, and increasing the number of lucrative jobs for Malaysians.
Investment, Trade, and Industry Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong said the ministry (Miti) has submitted its proposals to the Finance Ministry, but the final call is to be made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when he presents the budget on October 10.
“The government’s direction is clear. We want to create better jobs for Malaysians and push our industries towards greater adoption of automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and digitalisation,” he told the press after launching the Good Job Career Fair at the University of Reading, EduCity today.
Liew added that the broader goal is to accelerate Malaysia’s transition into a technology-driven economy.
“We want to move from being known as a trading nation to one that creates and innovates. The shifting must be from ‘Made in Malaysia’ to ‘Made by Malaysia’, with more intellectual property and innovation originating here,” he said.
Meanwhile, the deputy minister noted that despite global economic headwinds, Malaysia had managed to surpass RM1 trillion in exports.
This was partly due to companies that relocated to Malaysia under the China Plus One strategy over the past two to three years, many of which are currently producing goods here, which has contributed to Malaysia's exports.
Yesterday, Miti announced that Malaysia’s trade performance in the first eight months of 2025 grew by 3.8 per cent year-on-year to RM1.98 trillion. Exports rose by 3.9 per cent to RM1.03 trillion, while imports climbed 3.6 per cent to RM945.62 billion.
It said exports breached the RM1 trillion mark in August, one month earlier than in 2024, with electrical and electronic products, machinery, optical and scientific equipment, as well as palm oil and related products leading the way.
