Johari Abdul Ghani calls for balanced foreign investment in Malaysia

Malaysia's Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, stated that foreign investment must provide added value to the economy without undermining the local industrial ecosystem and supply chains.

Speaking at the Youth Economic Forum, Johari emphasized that while the government welcomes foreign competition, it must be based on principles of fair competition. He warned that large-scale foreign companies that bring their entire supply chains from their home countries without contributing to the local economy could have negative long-term implications for local jobs and industry.

Using the automotive sector as an example, he noted that companies like Proton and Perodua support an ecosystem of approximately 730 specialized vendors and over 700,000 jobs. He cited the partnerships between Proton and Geely, and Perodua and Daihatsu, as successful models where foreign investors and local industries grow together rather than one displacing the other.