KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) have signed a three-year agreement aimed at strengthening mechanisms for bilateral investment promotion between the two countries.
The signing of the memorandum of cooperation (MoC) took place in conjunction with the final day of Expo 2025 Osaka.
MIDA chief executive officer Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid said the outcomes of Expo 2025, particularly the RM12.79 billion investment leads generated, were achieved because the national strategies of Malaysia and Japan are aligned.
"Japan's Green Transformation and Digital Transformation initiatives complement perfectly with Malaysia's New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), Green Investment Strategy, and National Semiconductor Strategy,” he said in a statement.
Sikh Shamsul added that the MoC ensures this alignment translates into tangible outcomes for businesses on both sides.
"The policy convergence is notable. Japan, seeking to diversify supply chains and secure renewable energy sources following its post-Fukushima energy transition, views Malaysia as a manufacturing alternative to China and a potential hydrogen supplier.
"Meanwhile, Malaysia, aiming to attract quality foreign investment and move up the value chain, sees Japanese technology and patient capital as instrumental to achieving NIMP 2030 targets”, he added.
Over the six-month duration of Expo 2025, MIDA secured RM12.79 billion in Japanese-led investment leads across semiconductors, renewable energy, medical devices, and advanced manufacturing.
Under the framework, MIDA and JETRO have committed to facilitating investment promotion missions, strengthening linkages between companies in both countries, providing mutual market entry support, exchanging intelligence on emerging sectors, and deepening collaboration on projects initiated at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Japan is Malaysia's third-largest foreign investor in manufacturing, with cumulative approved
Investments totalling RM107.5 billion to date.
Nearly 3,000 Japanese manufacturing projects have created employment for more than 346,000 Malaysians, mainly in electrical and electronics, chemicals, machinery, and transport equipment sectors.
The MoC takes effect immediately, with implementation coordinated through MIDA's Tokyo and Osaka offices and JETRO's Kuala Lumpur office. - Bernama
