Industry ·
Penang led Malaysia's manufacturing investment in the first half of 2026
Penang approved RM17.3 billion of manufacturing investment in the first half of 2026 — 34% of Malaysia's total and up 38% year on year — according to MIDA data reported by Buletin Mutiara on 3 September 2026. The approvals span 177 projects and 19,337 jobs, and foreign direct investment stood at RM12.8 billion.
The first-half figures
Buletin Mutiara reported on 3 September 2026, citing data from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), that Penang approved RM17.3 billion of manufacturing investment in the first half of the year. That is 34% of Malaysia's total, and 38% more than in the first half of 2025. Foreign direct investment stood at RM12.8 billion, and the approvals span 177 projects and 19,337 jobs.
An approval records what a project plans to invest and the jobs it plans to create. The factories and the hiring become real only when the project is built.
Openings on the ground
Beside the approvals sit two openings in Bayan Lepas. AMD opened an office and engineering lab there with more than 1,200 staff, Bernama reported on 14 August 2025. ASE opened its fifth plant, in the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, Bernama reported on 18 February 2025.
Sources
- Buletin Mutiara, 3 September 2026 — MIDA data: RM17.3 billion of approved manufacturing investment in Penang in the first half of 2026, 34% of Malaysia's total, up 38% year on year; FDI RM12.8 billion; 177 projects; 19,337 jobs
- Bernama, 14 August 2025 — AMD opened an office and engineering lab in Bayan Lepas with more than 1,200 staff
- Bernama, 18 February 2025 — ASE opened its fifth plant, in the Bayan Lepas FIZ
- The developer's nearby-amenities sheet, 2026 — Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone 900 m from Southbay
Published 3 September 2026
