MALAYSIA must ensure that its fiscal reform agenda complements its trade and investment strategies if the country is to sustain economic growth over the medium term, the head of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) said today.
MIER executive director Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob said such alignment was crucial to support industries with strong growth potential and the capacity to generate higher value for the economy.
“Assistance needs to be channelled to industries that have the potential to become more productive and are able to contribute high value-added to the economy,” he said when appearing as a guest on TV3’s business and finance talk show Money Matters.
However, Sulaiman cautioned against broad-based support, stressing that assistance should not be distributed indiscriminately. Instead, he said careful studies were needed to identify sectors with the highest potential for sustainable growth and productivity gains.
He also said Malaysia’s encouraging economic performance, coupled with political stability, placed the country in a favourable position to attract foreign investors looking to relocate or diversify their investments into Malaysia. - February 1, 2026
