Malaysia Industry Policy

2025-11-11
Category: Government
Frequency: Daily

Explore key sectors, investment incentives, and regulatory frameworks shaping Malaysia's industrial landscape

Explore key sectors, investment incentives, and regulatory frameworks shaping Malaysia's industrial landscape.

Date Category Details
28 Oct, 2025 Financial ChatGPT said: The US Treasury and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) agreed to continue close consultations on macroeconomic and foreign exchange matters, reaffirming commitments under the IMF Articles of Agreement to avoid exchange rate manipulation for competitive advantage. They confirmed that macroprudential or capital flow measures and foreign investments will not target exchange rates, and any foreign exchange interventions will be used only to address excessive volatility or disorderly movements. BNM also committed to greater transparency, including public disclosure of aggregated net foreign exchange purchases/sales every six months and monthly foreign reserves data, while providing bilateral six-month FX transaction reports to the US Treasury with a three-month lag.
22 Oct, 2025 Telecommunication Malaysia plans to cap prepaid SIM registrations at two per telco for Malaysians and two in total for foreigners to curb online fraud and misuse. The MCMC is reviewing the current five-per-telco limit under the 2017 guidelines.
8 Oct, 2025 Financial The Dewan Rakyat approved the Hire Purchase (Amendment) Bill 2025, which replaces the flat rate and the Rule of 78 with the effective interest rate (EIR) and reducing balance method for fixed-rate hire-purchase loans, making loan costs more transparent. Under the new rules, fixed-rate loans up to five years are capped at 17% per year, and loans over five years at 16%, while variable-rate loans remain at 17%. Lenders must disclose the EIR to consumers before agreements are signed. The bill also allows digital hire-purchase agreements and updates references to the base lending rate. Providers have an 18-month grace period to update systems, though some MPs have requested a shorter period. The amendments aim to create a fairer, more transparent consumer credit environment and complement the Consumer Credit Act 2025.
7 Oct, 2025 Vape The Ministry of Health (MOH) is proposing to raise the excise duty on vape liquids from 40 sen to RM4 per millilitre (ml), in what could amount to a tenfold tax increase ahead of the government’s plan to fully ban electronic cigarettes and vaping products nationwide.
12 Sep, 2025 Renewable Energy The government will roll out the Solar Accelerated Transition Action Programme (Solar ATAP) in December 2025, letting households use rooftop solar power to reduce electricity bills. The new scheme replaces the expired NEM programme and will calculate bill offsets based on market electricity prices that change every 30 minutes. Unlike NEM’s one-to-one offset, Solar ATAP uses a market-based system designed for long-term sustainability. Registration opens on Dec 1 through the Energy Commission and SEDA websites.
9 Sep, 2025 Financial The Dewan Negara has passed Cross-Border Insolvency Bill 2025. The Cross-Border Insolvency Bill establishes a framework for handling foreign company insolvency cases in Malaysia, allowing coordination with foreign courts and creditors. It includes safeguards for national interest and may later expand to personal insolvency after further study.
9 Sep, 2025 Electricity The Dewan Negara has passed the Electricity Supply (Amendment) Bill 2025, Energy Commission (Amendment) Bill 2025. The energy amendments will regulate electricity imports, exports, and green attributes, supporting Malaysia’s target of 70% renewable energy capacity by 2050 and enabling cross-border power trade under the ASEAN Power Grid. Only surplus energy can be exported, with earnings channelled into national energy transition and consumer protection funds. A pilot project under Energy Exchange Malaysia (Enegem) previously sold 50MW to Singapore, showing better market-based returns. Real-time monitoring and licensing will ensure domestic grid stability and secure local supply.
7 Aug, 2025 Highway Malaysia will pilot an open toll system on the North-South Expressway in Penang this October using Automatic Number Plate Recognition, a technology where cameras automatically read vehicle license plates to identify cars and deduct tolls digitally without stopping. Developed locally at no cost to the government, the system initially covers 13 plazas and 35 lanes, integrates digital services, and supports multiple payment options, including the JustGo app, e-wallets, and Touch 'n Go, with free registration.
6 Aug, 2025 Water The Malaysian government is working with state regulators to introduce a dedicated water tariff for data centres and other heavy industrial users while promoting recycled water and district cooling systems to ease demand on clean water resources.
4 Aug, 2025 Poultry Malaysia only allows meat, poultry, and related products imports with halal certificates from US bodies approved by Jakim, ensuring Shariah compliance. Facilitation measures cover verification and registration of export facilities, regionalisation for animal disease control, and standards recognition for industrial products.