In conjunction with the 61st Malaysia Day, InvestKL held a dinner, Paving The Way to a Modern Malaysia, celebrating Malaysia’s remarkable journey and a future filled with promise and potential.
YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry said in his keynote address that Malaysia has continued to outshine her regional counterparts especially in terms of her GDP, political stability, ease of doing business, world-class digital and physical infrastructure and strong rule of law.

“Foreign Investments accounted for RM74.6 billion, a 16.7% rise, Domestic Investments increased by over 19%, while Investments in manufacturing reached RM60.1 billion, a 34.1% increase,” he said.
Out of a total approved investments of RM160 billion in first half of 2024, 60.7%was from the services sector, particularly in technology and digital services.
He said therefore that the Modern Services sector – encompassing digital government and other service, finance, healthcare and education – is crucial for Malaysia’s transition to a sustainable high-income economy.
The Minister asked everyone present to judge the Ministry not by its policies but by its quantitative KPIs and strong economic fundamentals such as the strengthening of the Malaysian ringgit, global funds buying USD2.5billion of Malaysian bonds in July and August to USD1.2billion flowing into local equities since June this year, all reflecting Malaysia’s economic resilience.
The CEO of InvestKL, Datuk Muhammad Azmi Zulkifli echoed the Minister’s vision. He mentioned that Greater Kuala Lumpur is at the forefront of the Modern Services industry and added that InvestKl has successfully secured investments from over 140 leading global companies, contributing to RM33 billion in investments and creating more than 30,000 regional executive jobs in Greater Kuala Lumpur.
The Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Dato Seri Paduka Maimunah Mohd Sharif spoke on how over the decades, Malaysians have collectively built a diverse, multi-ethnic, and inclusive society that is the source of our strength.

“Our beloved Kuala Lumpur is more than just the capital city – it is the heartbeat of a nation, and a symbol of our development as a nation. It reflects Malaysia’s economic growth, cultural diversity, and national ambitions,” she quipped.
Three panelists joined a forum to discuss “Emulating Advanced Economics or Charting A Unique Malaysia Strategy?”. They were Dr. Anthony Dass, Executive Director, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, Yu Cao, Economist for East Asia and Pacific, Research Centre, World Bank and Dr.Kamaruddin Mohd Nor, Chief Economist, Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB). The forum was moderated by Jason Cheng, Director of Special Projects, Invest KL.
