- Australia seeks stronger investment and trade ties with Malaysia across ASEAN.
- Malaysia’s stable economy and tech strengths attract Australian investors.
- Trade pacts support investments in renewables, healthcare, manufacturing, and digital.
Australia is looking to boost investment and trade with Malaysia in the coming year, stated Danielle Heinecke, the Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia. She stated that boosting investments is one of Australia's aims in Malaysia, given the country's appeal in the Asean area.
“Malaysia is in a good spot because your economy is doing well and has good opportunities in the technology sector,” she stated.
She emphasized that various factors intrinsic to this country, such as an enhanced regulatory framework, political stability, strong skill sets, and multilingual abilities, play crucial roles in shaping investors’ choices.
She also stated that there are numerous Malaysian investments in Australia. “We're very open to foreign companies operating in Australia, and we've had a lot of Malaysian companies that have done really well,” Heinecke said.
She noted that the commission is collaborating with several ministries in Malaysia to ensure that businesses are adopting the four trade agreements between Malaysia and Australia to achieve improved market access.
The four trade pacts between Australia and Malaysia are the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA), the Asean-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
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“We need to keep trying to do more to promote Malaysia as an investment destination in Australia, and we will keep running programmes and bringing our companies here to see everything that Malaysia has to offer,” she said.
She emphasized that the focal points are investment in renewable energy, healthcare, manufacturing, digital sectors, and equity investment. In 2024, Malaysia ranks as Australia’s 11th largest partner in two-way goods and services trade, valued at A$32.8 billion (RM88.38 billion).
According to Australian data, in 2024, investments from Australia in Malaysia reached A$8.76 billion, including a foreign direct investment (FDI) of A$4.44 billion. In 2024, Malaysian investments in Australia reached A$24.08 billion, including A$14.11 billion in FDI.