Why FI approvals and FDI don’t match


Malaysia’s investment story is not a contradiction – it’s about different stages of the same journey.

WHEN headlines announce that Malaysia has secured RM190.3bil in approved investments in the first half of 2025, it sparks confidence.

Yet, in the same breath, the Statistics Department reported that net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows dropped sharply – from RM15.6bil in the first quarter to just RM1.6bil in the second quarter.

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