- 1 hour ago
From semiconductors and aerospace to data centres, Selangor is positioning itself to capture the next wave of high-value investment.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari outlines the state’s strategy to strengthen its regional competitiveness, drive sustainable growth and translate investment into jobs and opportunities.
Catch Investment Insider on 8 November 2026 at 9.00 PM on Astro AWANI 501.
Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari outlines the state’s strategy to strengthen its regional competitiveness, drive sustainable growth and translate investment into jobs and opportunities.
Catch Investment Insider on 8 November 2026 at 9.00 PM on Astro AWANI 501.
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NewsTranscript
00:14Hello, I'm Farhana Shea and you're watching Investment Insider brought to you by Invest
00:19Selangor where we're looking at investing in Selangor's next decade. Now, Selangor has long
00:24been at the heart of Malaysia's economic growth. But as the global economy changes, the state
00:30is now looking at opportunities in high-tech industries, innovation, and even regional
00:35connectivity. Now, today I'm joined by the man leading that effort, the Menteri Besar of Selangor,
00:41Yang Amat Behumat, Datuk Seri Amiruddin Syari. Thank you so much for joining us, Datuk Seri.
00:44Thank you. Thank you very much. Right. Datuk Seri, throughout this season of Investment Insider,
00:48we've looked at how Selangor is preparing for its next stage of growth. As part of
00:54this strategy, we've seen the Selangor Frontier concept emerging. Now, how does this
00:59strategy actually built on Selangor's position and strengthen its role as a gateway to the
01:05wider ASEAN digital and industrial economy? Maybe we can start that, Datuk Seri.
01:11Thank you. First and foremost, definitely that we have to retain our status as a heartbeat of
01:17Malaysia. To position for that level, definitely that we have to prepare and ready for any challenges
01:24that we are facing in future or maybe now. So therefore, in terms of Selangor planning, we
01:33should have initiated something new for Malaysia economy, new frameworks for Selangor and maybe become
01:43a competitor for the ASEAN country or ASEAN constitution or regional competitions. Therefore,
01:50that we are introduced what we call it, Rancangan Selangor Satu or Selangor Plan One. From there,
01:56actually, we try to introduce and try to identify the potential of Selangor to unlock for every
02:05potentials in every locality and every district. And we did it for the past two years or three years.
02:11In year 2021, for example, our growth is around 11 percent. And after that, we maintained
02:19between 6.5 to 7.3. And therefore, that we reached more than our target from RS1 in year 2035.
02:27Because
02:28in general, that we managed to growth around 7.2 to 7.3, far ahead from 6.5 that targeted
02:38in Rancangan Selangor
02:39One. Definitely that we have to focus a few subsectors and empower a few subsectors, for example,
02:47like E&E. E&E has become one of the major subsectors contribute for our manufacturing subsectors. But we
02:55also try to enhance our capabilities through IC Design Parks and also attract high-tech industry to come
03:07to Selangor. Because the demand for chips and the chips wall is to become the new wall in the world,
03:13especially in the business. And Selangor cannot be far from that risk. And we are confident we are
03:19become one of the frontier in the regions. And of course, leading the Malaysia in future.
03:25Right. And I feel that, you know, all this investment and strategies and efforts that, you know,
03:31Selangor has put in has clearly proven successful, you know, all the numbers and statistics that
03:36that the industry has given just now. But the global economy is ever-changing right now. You mentioned
03:40just now the chips war, for example. You know, we're looking at geopolitical tensions, rapid changes in global
03:47trade and economy, you know, supply chain problems. How are you ensuring that this growth remains resilient
03:55against this global economic shifts? What is the macro blueprint, so to say, to ensure that Selangor remains
04:03resilient as well as future ready? What's your thoughts on this? In fact, in year 2035, our national GDP
04:09went up into 460.1 billion ringgit Malaysia. That means we are contributing 26.5% to the Malaysia
04:17entire economic activity. And the increase is around 28 billion ringgit Malaysia. And we remain the one
04:26and only state in Malaysia have an activity more than 400 billion ringgit Malaysia. The data show by
04:33University Putra Malaysia, the latest one, they did some research for us. In two years time,
04:40or maybe three years time, definitely our Selangor economic value is more than half a trillion ringgit Malaysia.
04:50Yeah, to retain the success and to retain the vibes of Selangor, definitely we have to be more
04:57adaptive with the changes and become more efficient and effective in our administrative. Therefore,
05:04we introduce, for example, Speed Selangor. In Speed Selangor, all the process for approval that we are
05:11reducing from three months into one month, in one month time into two weeks or 14 days. And that's become
05:22attraction for the investment to come. Because if we compete for the land cost, for example,
05:31the land cost in Selangor is definitely higher than other places. So we are competing in terms of
05:40competitiveness for our efficiency and our attraction for business come to Selangor.
05:50And in the same time, that we also work closely with universities and higher learning centers to make sure
05:59that we have an enough talents to fulfill the demand for any investment coming. Lately, for example,
06:06in Hulus Langor, there's a huge investment for automobile industries. And definitely that we have to work
06:12with universities and institutions that can fill up the demand and also can fulfill all the requirements
06:19needed by the company that want to come. And nowadays, it's not just an ordinary cars or automobiles. Now, it's
06:28an electric vehicles.
06:37And I think the human resource is a key factor for Selangor remains as a main attraction for the investment
06:49coming to Malaysia.
06:50So first, our policies and our efficiency of administration. Second, maintain the stability. And third one, the human talent or
07:05human resource.
07:05Right. And I think sort of adapting to this changing dynamics, be it in economy, be it globally or even
07:14domestically.
07:15And we've interviewed so many agencies and firms and even, you know, leading universities, CYTM. I think they all have
07:22the same mindset,
07:23like what you said just now, to adapt, to ensure that we can move forward despite all the changes that
07:29are happening around us.
07:30Dato' Sri, when we talk about investment, I think we can't ignore, you know, SIPs.
07:352026 actually marks 10 years of the Selangor International Business Summit.
07:41Your thoughts on this, when you look back, how has SIPs actually changed over the past decade?
07:47Yeah, we started as Selangor International Expo in year 2014.
07:53Majority of the exhibition that time with the food and beverages subsector,
07:58which is that one of the main subsector we are focusing on that particular period,
08:03besides of aerospace, rail and also automotive.
08:08But two years later, in year 2016, we started to introduce what we call it Selangor International Business Summit.
08:14Definitely, the quality of exhibition and summit is totally different from just business exhibitions
08:24into more policy discussions, future discussions of new sectors,
08:31and also try to introduce what the uniqueness of Selangor as investment area or investment locations,
08:42the investment destination to be seen.
08:45And start in year 2018, if not mistaken, we started the ideas of Selangor as a gateway to ASEAN.
08:54So the evolutions from SIE into Selangor International Business Summit and our ambition to become a gateway to ASEAN
09:03is to give some biggest framework shiftings of Selangor focusing on our approach to attract an investment.
09:14It's no longer just focusing to embrace that what we had in the state of Selangor,
09:19but in the same time, we also try to become original players.
09:23And six years ago, we started to introduce SPARC, the exhibition focusing for industrial park.
09:34And it's not just benefit Selangor, that's also benefit other states.
09:38In year 2024, for example, the amount of MOU or the value of MOU is around 12.2 billion ringgit
09:45Malaysia.
09:46And started this year, 2026, Selangor International Business Summit is no longer just organized in Kuala Lumpur.
09:56First time ever, we organized outside Kuala Lumpur in Bandung and also in Indonesia
10:01to show our commitment to become a gateway to ASEAN and to introduce a market not just for the Malaysia
10:10and Selangor but also to regional market.
10:14Right.
10:15So it seems that the investment landscape here in Selangor has really keep up with the changing times.
10:20And with platforms like SIPs, for example, evolving to what it is right now.
10:25You mentioned SPARC just now.
10:26Terus Sri, if you don't mind, SPARC has been around,
10:29Selangor Investment and Industrial Park Expo has been around for about six years now.
10:33How has SPARC actually changed the way Selangor approaches investment?
10:38Particularly, is the focus more on quality rather than simply just bringing in more investment?
10:43What's your thoughts on this?
10:45Definitely from just companies or factories or manufacturing or service sectors that we try to
10:56introduce the ecosystems.
10:59Industrial Park is about an ecosystem.
11:02So, three or four years ago, we tried to introduce what we call it Managed Industrial Park.
11:09Managed Industrial Park is totally a different gameplay for attract a business coming or investment coming,
11:17which is we offer more than just a location for business,
11:21but managed and automated with the technology, with the connectivity of 5G and other elements of the smart manufacturing or
11:34smart city.
11:35So, the element of smart city, we try to introduce also the smart managed industrial park.
11:40So, it's not just for the business to organize or business to operate, but with the high technologies,
11:49cognitiveity and with the element of IoT and other elements of smart city.
11:55I think definitely, you know, this is what the investment landscape is right now.
11:59And the fact that Selangor is quite years ahead in its time to introduce, you know,
12:04Sips and Spark to cater to this environment as well.
12:08So, you know, we talk about, you know, investment not only looking beyond the numbers
12:13and making sure that growth also creates, you know, long-term value for Selangor.
12:17So, I think on that note, we'll go for a quick break. We'll be right back after this.
12:37Welcome back to Investment Insider.
12:40Today, I'm joined by Yang Amat Berhormat, Datuk Seri Emeryeddin Syahri, Menteri Besar of Selangor.
12:45Now, we've talked about attracting investment and strengthening Selangor's position in the region.
12:50But with that growth comes another important question, how do we make sure that it is sustainable?
12:57So, Datuk Seri, my question to you, we want to grow obviously, but we also want to keep Selangor green
13:02and beautiful.
13:03With Selangor attracting more factories, data centers and high-tech industries like you mentioned just now,
13:09how do we make sure that economic growth does not come at the expense of environment?
13:15That is a constant balancing between what we have to play to strike the golden balance between economic development
13:22and also environmental reservations. This is because climate change is a real threat to the existence of our humanity.
13:31And we have to accept this is the fact.
13:35That's also the reason we have built sustainable industrial park like GRIP, what we call it green industrial parks,
13:42through our subsidiaries or our GLCs called PKNS. These areas utilize renewable energy, efficient equipment,
13:50consuming laser energy, and another state-owned company has moved speedily into the energy sector by
13:57construction the Pulau Indah power plant. In the same time, our subsidiaries or our GLCs also awarded
14:08LSS 5 or large-scale solar 5 which also extend the water treatment plant under Ais Langor, also owned by
14:15the state government,
14:16rooftop solar for all government buildings and premises, and also GLCs buildings. I truly believe that the
14:24environmental enhancement can take place into sustainable economic growth, and this is why we have set
14:30benchmark for the growth for our economy to expand rapidly or steadily. In the same time, we also try to
14:38manage
14:39what we call it waste management. So now, in our pipeline, by 2029, we will have three waste-to-energy
14:49plant. First plant is already operate. By end of this year, our second plant will be complete. And then by
14:55year
14:552029, our third plant can be complete and manage 5,500 waste from totally seven to eight thousand
15:05ton of waste a day. And from that point of view, definitely we not just handling an investment,
15:15but we need to make sure that Selangor is keep clean. We manage to handle the waste. And in future,
15:22we also start to explore how to make sure that we have to manage the electronic waste because with the
15:32growing of EV and definitely the battery industry and the battery sector become one of the main elements.
15:41To handle it, definitely we need an expert. And I think from this year budget or next year budget,
15:49we will start introduce some initiative to make sure Selangor is ready for everything. It's not just an
15:56attract for investment, but to make sure we can manage, include the waste and the issue related with
16:03the investment coming. Right. I mean, I think looking at today's weather as well, you know,
16:08we're looking at haze happening just outside of us and the threats of climate change like you mentioned
16:13is ever so real. It's inspiring that, you know, investment in Selangor is also considering not just
16:20the threats that's happening right now, but also preventing future threats like you mentioned
16:25EV just now or even AI and tech and batteries for example. Battery disposal has become a next issue.
16:30Exactly. For us. And then for the world. Exactly. And it's not something that, you know,
16:35you sometimes missed. It's a missed topic when we talk about environment and sustainability for the future,
16:41right? Right. Okay. This season, we've talked about environment, yes, but also aerospace,
16:49biotechnology, semiconductors. Now, these sectors brings in billions of ringgit. You know,
16:55they're high tech industry sector. But I want to break it down to more layman terms, right? What does this
17:02kind of investment actually mean for ordinary Selangorians? Are we talking about better paying jobs,
17:09new skills or new opportunities for young people? Do you mind sharing us your thoughts on this?
17:15Yeah, definitely jobs is one of the main offer for the public. In year 2024, for example, we managed to
17:25attract
17:25more than 100 billion of investments and it offers easily 40 to 50,000 new jobs.
17:34By mid this year, we already reaching 70 billions of investment coming and it easily offer more than 15
17:42to 20,000 of jobs. Jobs is a main attraction for Selangor. Therefore, the number of migration for
17:49Selangor is keep growing since 1970s until now and maybe in future. The second one is also the whole change
17:58and the whole supporting business or the whole ecosystem of the business. For example, an automobile industry
18:11is coming. Definitely they need parts. Definitely they need mechanics. Definitely they need a manager and also the promoter.
18:20The whole ecosystem that offered also a new economic activities. And for aerospace industries,
18:29now we are to become the host for 67% of aerospace industries in Malaysia. And again, aerospace industries
18:39is multi-billion US dollar value of business from manufacturing, MRO or services, till managing the
18:51waste of the aeroplane or aircraft. So the whole ecosystem that we have to be prepared and make sure that
19:00we
19:00are prepared the talents, equip the demands from the industries coming. Since 2020,
19:09we started exploring the possibility and working together with the technical and vocational institutions
19:18owned by the state government of Selangor, working with the technology owned company like Siemens,
19:23like Apples, like BMW and other technology providers to make sure that all factory
19:31have also a room for them to reskill and upskilling their workers. So far more than 4,000 workers have
19:40been
19:40go through from our program and managed to increase their salary from 4,000 to 6,000 ringgit from 6
19:48,000 ringgit to 8,000 ringgit
19:50Malaysia. When we talk about jobs, actually, sometimes have an irony. The market show or the layman
19:58understandings, they say that there are no jobs, not even jobs. But in reality, when we are facing,
20:04when we are meeting the investor, actually did a lot of jobs. The issue is the mismatch between the skills
20:13that we are providing and also the demands from the market. Therefore, state coming to interventions,
20:19we come and discuss with the technology companies, provide your machine here. We have an institution,
20:26we train the workers, we train the graduates to fix with what needed by the market. And from time
20:34to time, we also learn from Singapore, from other countries, how to fulfill and manage to fulfill the
20:41demands of the workers they need or the employee they need. So, back to your questions. I think we are
20:53focusing not just on jobs or the investment coming, offering jobs, but the quality jobs. And also the
21:01whole ecosystem, including helping our SMEs to grow. For example, Data Center started this year
21:10through next, for the next five years, we will start slowly and staggeredly implement what we call
21:16the 30% policies. The 30% policies, that means data center equipment and services must be localized.
21:24And we are not contained just for the Malaysia. We are not just contained for Selangor. We
21:29introduce for the whole Malaysia. That means you can operate in Kulem, you can operate in Johor Bahru,
21:33and definitely you can operate in Selangor on PJ, but supply the parts or supply the service needed by the
21:41data
21:42center. So, data center is not just a big building, use our water and energy, but in the same time,
21:49we
21:49have a policy to make sure the participation from our SMEs and our workers managed to increase
21:56their capabilities and their skills for the future. Right. That's amazing. I think this is what we
22:02Malaysian or even me, Anak Selangor, right, wants to hear because in this increasingly competitive
22:10job landscape, we are all worried. And it looks that, you know, the Selangor government with the help
22:15of Invest Selangor are also looking into, you know, how we can look at re-skilling, up-skilling, and also
22:21looking at support for the youths today. So, thank you so much for all the efforts that you have done
22:28on this scope. Right. We have just a little bit of time left, so I want to look a bit
22:34more beyond.
22:35Looking ahead, 2030 for example, what is your ultimate vision for the Selangor frontier? And what will be
22:43different today for Selangor five years from now compared to with the Selangor today?
22:48Businesses today are less confident about the future than they were 10 years ago. There are currently
22:55two major war taking place in the world. Russia war against Ukraine in nearing five years and the United
23:03States along Israel has started their onslaught against Iran or create instability in the Middle East.
23:09Naturally, this causes worry to many businesses, especially small and medium enterprises who are
23:16dependent to the global supply chains. A means trying time like this, I invite you to come to Selangor.
23:23We have stability. We are home to Malaysia's most capable workers. We have more than, we have more than, we
23:30have
23:30hundred universities actually in Selangor. Every year, we have produced 30,000 graduates from multiple
23:40faculties and definitely the universities not just produce a good talent, graduates, but also a research.
23:50Good research for many things from engineering, from E&E and also the other
23:58sector that we need to be focused. For example, for halal certifications and others.
24:06And in the same time, the university also created a networking that working to the international
24:15professor, international universities, research center and other capability too. Therefore, I think
24:22Selangor is the best place. We have enough space, enough talent, capable networking and also the efforts
24:34from the governments to interventions, to close the gaps, to fill the groups that we identify. For example,
24:42I just talking about the talent that they need, the focus for certain industries, the coordinating companies and agencies
24:54like aerospace industries. So we have, for example, aerospace councils. The aerospace councils, the government
25:03start as a coordinator. We call all the industry players. We call the agency federal and state agencies. We call
25:10local
25:11council councils. They also have a researcher there. So we work together with things. What's the future
25:17for aerospace industry? That's why the aerospace industry rose by two or three percent. Right.
25:23I still remember the first time I'm sitting at SMT Bessar that we only control around 64 to 65 percent.
25:30Now
25:30it rose into 67 percent. It grows quite a lot. And the growing of automobile industry, the Hulus Lango now
25:36has become
25:36the new attraction for the new attraction for the automobile industry. And with the coming of ECRL, with this
25:44rendah bypass and so on and so forth, it's not just for the forwarding companies or port and so on
25:56or service
25:57service sector. They're also attraction for the real industries. Actually, almost 100 percent the headquarters of
26:05real companies are located in Selangor. From KTM, MRT, LRT, Prasarada and so on are located in Selangor. And that
26:12area
26:13that we have to be focused. Therefore, last two years that we we formed what we call it real company
26:21or real
26:25meetings or real council. Sorry, we we formed what we call it real council. So besides of the aerospace council,
26:33now we
26:33have also real council to make sure that development and the progress of this subsector is not just growing
26:41organically, but also with the intervention of the government to make sure all coordinated
26:47and we manage to close the gap what needed by the companies and also needed by the people. Right. I
26:54think you cannot make
26:55Selangor as an investment destination to global investors enticing enough. I think you pretty much,
27:02you know, from the first question till now, you know, you pretty much outline that Selangor is the
27:08destination to be for global investors and that the Selangor State Government with the help of Invest
27:13Selangor is working very hard to maintain and sustain that role as well. Thank you so much,
27:18thank you for your insights and for being with us here in Investment Insider. That's all for me. I'm Farah
27:24Nashe.
27:48...
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