Tengku Zafrul - Malaysia champions ASEAN investment with focus on coherence and sustainability

AS the third ASEAN Investment Forum (AIF 2025) drew to a close at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, emphasised ASEAN’s commitment to translating ambition into measurable outcomes for investors, workers, and communities.

“Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship is guided by a simple principle: to translate ambition into action, intention into impact, and decisions into deliverables. Our commitment is to move beyond aspirations to executing what investors, workers, and communities can see and measure,” he said.

The minister praised the constructive dialogue facilitated by UN ESCAP, the ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN-BAC, ASEAN Member States, and private-sector partners, noting that discussions had focused on making transition projects investment-ready through credible sponsors, transparent regulations, clear revenue models, and effective risk mitigation strategies.

“These criteria set the tone for the subsequent sessions on industrial decarbonisation. Sectors discussed include biofuels and carbon capture; as well as smart digital manufacturing and advanced electronics.

“Others include health and life sciences manufacturing for regional resilience; as well as renewable energy ecosystems that integrate manufacturing, deployment, and services. Together, all these form ASEAN’s executable investment story,” Tengku Zafrul said.

Central to ASEAN’s investment strategy is the ASEAN Regional Investment Promotion Action Plan (RIPAP), endorsed by Economic Ministers last year.

“RIPAP is ASEAN’s first region-wide framework for coordinating investment promotion, not through slogans but through practical tools that truly matter to investors,” the minister explained, highlighting its focus on regional and national value propositions, pipelines of investor-ready projects, measurable KPIs, and targeted outreach to industry multipliers.

The Minister also noted the support of the United Kingdom’s Green Transition Fund in advancing RIPAP through the ASEAN Green Investment Catalyst Project, which has helped develop several investable projects showcased at the forum.

“Under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship theme of ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, our economic deliverables this year focus not only on accelerating growth, but also on expanding opportunities, deepening regional resilience, and preparing ASEAN for the challenges and opportunities of the future economy,” he said.

The minister outlined key 2025 Priority Economic Deliverables, including strengthening trade integration, promoting responsible investment, supporting MSMEs through green transition initiatives, and unlocking a USD2-trillion digital economy by 2030.

He stressed that these priorities provide policy predictability, a key factor for investors, reinforced by ASEAN’s market size, transparency, and institutionalised facilitation.

Highlighting Malaysia’s progress, Senator Zafrul pointed to policies and strategies such as the National Semiconductor Strategy, Green Investment Strategy, and Circular Economy Policy Framework, all aimed at fostering a sustainable and forward-looking investment environment.

In the first half of 2025, Malaysia’s approved investments rose 18.7% year-on-year to USD45 billion, creating nearly 89,000 jobs, signalling strong investor confidence.

Looking ahead, he said ASEAN’s collective efforts would focus on coherence, facilitation, and inclusivity and sustainability.

“To our investor community: ASEAN stands as an open, integrated, and execution-focused region. The projects showcased today mark not the conclusion, but the co-creation of deeper collaborations and better capital mobilisation across ASEAN,” he said.

Tengku Zafrul added by calling for continued partnership to convert the forum’s discussions into tangible impact for a prosperous and sustainable ASEAN. - October 24, 2025