SHAH ALAM, Nov 14 — The Central Region Initiative (Wilayah Metropolis) provides state governments with the opportunity to drive investment, digitalisation, and smart-green urban development, said Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
The Menteri Besar said the Federal initiative is a strategic framework to strengthen the investment ecosystem in the central region, which also includes Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Putrajaya, and Melaka, as the country’s most dynamic economic hub.
With a projected RM24.5 billion added to the national gross domestic product (GDP) annually, an annual approved investment of RM12.5 billion in the region, and 5,000 high-value jobs over the next five years, it is a strategic initiative backed by clear quantitative targets to strengthen Malaysia’s investment competitiveness.
“At the state level, Wilayah Metropolis provide opportunities for governments such as Selangor to strengthen investment policies, accelerate digital transformation, and introduce development models centred on smart cities and green industries,” he said during the tabling of the 2026 Selangor Budget in the State Legislative Assembly today.
Amirudin said that the effort also prioritises “investment aftercare” through more structured facilitation to ensure multinational companies continue to expand, upgrade technology, and retain skilled local talent.
It will build a more inclusive and sustainable ecosystem, which includes talent development, involving small and medium enterprises in global value chains, and implementing environmentally sustainable and responsible governance as a standard for new investment projects.
“Wilayah Metropolis will serve as a platform to combine existing strengths, such as advanced transport networks, research universities, a skilled workforce and market access, with new growth drivers in key sectors including automation, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, and the green economy,” he said.
On Tuesday (November 11), the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida), together with the respective investment promotion agencies of the Federal Territories and state governments involved, launched the two-day Central Region Programme, which focuses on ecosystem integration for industrial development.
At the event, Amirudin said strategic collaboration between states and territories within the Klang Valley and its surrounding regions is crucial to ensure more balanced and competitive national development, in line with building a sustainable and inclusive metropolis.
