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BUDGET 2026 will prioritise policies aimed at attracting greater investment, accelerating automation and digital adoption, and creating better-paying jobs for Malaysians, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong has said.
Speaking after officiating the Good Job Career Fair at the University of Reading Malaysia in EduCity, in Iskandar Puteri, Liew confirmed that his ministry had submitted its proposals to the Finance Ministry, with the final decision resting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who will table the budget on 10 October.
“The government’s direction is clear. We want to create better jobs for Malaysians and push our industries towards greater adoption of automation, artificial intelligence and digitalisation,” Liew said.
He added that the broader objective is to transition Malaysia into a technology-driven economy.
“We want to move from being known as a trading nation to one that creates and innovates. The shift must be from ‘Made in Malaysia’ to ‘Made by Malaysia’, with more intellectual property and innovation originating here,” he said.
Despite global economic challenges, Liew noted that Malaysia’s exports had surpassed RM1 trillion, attributing the performance partly to companies relocating their manufacturing bases to Malaysia under the China Plus One strategy in recent years.
According to figures released by the Ministry on Friday, Malaysia’s total trade in the first eight months of 2025 rose 3.8% year-on-year to RM1.98 trillion. Exports grew 3.9% to RM1.03 trillion, while imports increased 3.6% to RM945.62 billion.
The country crossed the RM1 trillion export threshold in August — one month earlier than in 2024 — driven primarily by electrical and electronic goods, machinery, optical and scientific instruments, as well as palm oil and related products. - September 20, 2025