KUALA LUMPUR: Local printing companies, including those that have operated for decades, are facing mounting pressure from overseas competitors while struggling with the cost of upgrading machinery and securing financing, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The MCA president said the government must provide greater financial and policy support to the industry to help local businesses modernise and remain competitive.
“So, I hope the government can understand the predicament of our local businesses, especially those who have been in existence for so many years.
“It is high time for the government to look into this issue,” he said when opening IPMEX Malaysia and SIGN Malaysia 2026 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) here on Wednesday (Aug 12).
The Ayer Hitam MP said the government should strike a balance between welcoming foreign direct investment (FDI) and ensuring Malaysian businesses were able to benefit from economic activity generated by foreign companies.
While Malaysia should embrace modernisation and open-market competition, he said there must also be clear policies to safeguard opportunities for local businesses and workers.
“Policy-wise, we welcome all the FDIs, but we also have to develop the local industry here.
“There must be a policy for locals to share the pie,” he said, adding that foreign companies involved in the sector should engage local businesses where possible.
Dr Wee said smaller Malaysian printing companies should be given opportunities to work with larger players, allowing them to acquire expertise, improve their capabilities and eventually expand.
“You really need to encourage the local industry players to engage with the big players so that they can upgrade themselves and eventually become big players.
“I think this is the level playing field that we are talking about,” he said.
Dr Wee was responding to concerns raised earlier by Persatuan Pengusaha Percetakan Melayu Malaysia president Azizi Fikry over the challenges confronting domestic printers.
The former Cabinet minister said financing was another area requiring government attention, particularly as printing companies sought to automate and modernise their operations.
He said discussions on automation often centred on large industries even though the printing sector was an important part of the wider industrial ecosystem.
“Therefore, in order to ensure that we keep pace with development, I urge the government to give more emphasis to this industry as well,” he said.
Dr Wee also pointed to other sectors where Malaysian businesses and workers were facing competition from foreign service providers, citing photography and renovation as examples.
He said local photographers had complained about overseas photographers offering wedding photography packages for as little as RM299, while some foreign renovation businesses brought in workers on short-term social visit passes instead of engaging Malaysian contractors.
Dr Wee said such practices demonstrated why the government needed to understand the pressures faced by long-established Malaysian companies when formulating policies governing foreign competition.
Earlier, Azizi said the growing influx of printed products from China and other overseas markets was among the most pressing concerns facing Malaysian printers.
He stressed that the industry was not seeking protection from competition, but wanted local companies to be given fair conditions in which to compete.
Azizi said the Sales and Service Tax (SST) and other operating costs were putting further pressure on already narrow margins, while companies seeking to modernise could face substantial upfront duties and taxes on imported machinery.
Access to financing was another major obstacle, he said, as many financial institutions continued to regard printing as a high-risk or sunset industry.
Azizi called for more accessible financing for technology upgrades, a review of upfront duties and taxes on essential machinery, stronger incentives for automation and sustainability, and fairer conditions between locally produced and imported printed products.
