KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s active non-aligned policy makes the country attractive for defence partnerships and investments, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said such a policy means that Malaysia maintains working relationships across all major partners.
“A Malaysian supplier enters a supply chain without the political complications that have made sourcing decisions so difficult elsewhere.
“In the current environment, that is a genuine commercial consideration,” he said when launching the Defence Services Asia and National Security Asia 2026 exhibitions.
He said the government is committed to ensuring a reliable business environment, including the protection of intellectual property, enforcement of strategic trade controls and equal application of the law.
“That is the only foundation worth building on,” he added.
The Prime Minister said the government will ensure that intellectual property is protected promptly and reliably.
“Strategic trade controls will be enforced. Contracts will hold. The law will apply to everyone in the same way, without exception,” he said.
Anwar also called on global defence and aerospace industry players to engage more with Malaysian manufacturers, underscoring the country’s growing role in high-value global supply chains.
He said Malaysian companies have earned their place in some of the world’s most demanding commercial supply chains through a strong culture of precision and accountability.
“So, to the primes and Tier 1 suppliers here, come and find our manufacturers. Spend time with them. A number of you have already begun to do exactly that, and I would invite those who have not to consider seriously why their peers have,” he said.
Anwar said the government’s role is to create the conditions for serious work to happen.
“The commercial decisions belong to the companies. What belongs to us is the quality of the ground beneath those decisions,” he said.
The Prime Minister also spoke on the economy, saying it was on the uptick with record levels of investments.
“A war in the Middle East is sending tremors through global markets, driving energy prices up and pushing capital out of some markets.
“Yet in recent weeks, global funds bought over US$2bil (RM7.9bil) in Malaysian bonds, the highest inflow in 10 months,” he said.
Anwar said the ringgit has been Asia’s best-performing currency for two consecutive years.
“Our economy grew 5.2% last year and we have also attracted record levels of investment, driven by manufacturing, semiconductors and aerospace,” he said.
This, he noted, was due to the government’s commitment to policy reforms and sustained engagements with companies and fund managers.
“They have seen a government that follows through on what it commits to. They have seen an economy that held its ground while conditions around it deteriorated.
“And they have seen something that Malaysians ourselves do not say often enough; that this country makes things the world genuinely depends on,” he said.
Themed Empowering Capabilities And Resilience Through Technology, the event brings together 1,456 exhibiting companies from 63 countries.
This year’s edition also sees the participation of 368 Malaysian companies under a new segment – the Malaysian Defence Industry Council pavilion, showcasing their respective products and capabilities.
