10/06/2026

BIZ & FINANCE WEDNESDAY | JUNE 10, 2026

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Ministry to start reporting on 13MP progress by August

Ű BY JOHN GILBERT sunbiz@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: The Economy Ministry will begin reporting on the progress of the 13th Malaysia Plan 2026-2030 (13MP) by August as all ministries have already submitted their objectives via MyRMK, a central monitoring system for tracking the 13MP rollout, policies, key perfor mance indicators and strategic initiatives. Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said that at the mini sterial level, the government has already called on all ministries to bid for the budget. “We want to make sure this plan delivers a bigger impact for our development. Our goal is to get development projects delivered quickly while keeping them sustainable. “By next month, I will start scrutinising next year’s development plan. I will put it in the context of the RMK13 (13MP) and the global and domestic situation we are facing today. So we won’t be rigid about which priorities come first. “To safeguard the implementation of the plan, I have already announced that, starting this year, we will use MyRMK to track the performance and progress of RMK13 deliverables. All ministries have submitted their objectives, and we are now moving forward with the next phase of monitoring and implementation,” he told delegates during a discussion session entitled “Navigating External Uncertainties, Strengthening Resi lience” at the Invest Malaysia Con ference yesterday. Akmal Nasrullah said Malaysia remains committed to implementing the 13MP, under which the govern ment has allocated RM611 billion in development expenditure over the next five years to drive economic growth and strengthen the country’s long-term prospects. “At the core of RMK13 is economic transformation, but it is also about improving social mobility and ensuring sustainable development,” he added. Despite ongoing global uncer tainties and economic challenges, Akmal Nasrullah said, the govern ment remains steadfast in delivering the plan, stressing that policy certainty is critical in providing clear direction for the economy. “For us, policy certainty is fundamental. We need a clear regulatory framework that guides

o Economy minister says government steadfast in delivering on 13th Malaysia Plan, stresses that policy certainty critical in providing clear direction

National Energy Transition Roadmap as a key framework guiding the country’s long-term growth strategy. “The roadmap is not only about decarbonisation and our net-zero aspirations by 2050. It is also about building the foundations for sustainable economic growth and ensuring that investments coming into Malaysia can continue to grow and remain competitive over the long term,” he said. The government is also focused on strengthening climate resilience through investments in infrastructure and mitigation measures, he added. “We need to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to address climate-related challenges, whether it is flood mitigation or other measures needed to adapt to the impacts of climate change,” Akmal Nasrullah said. Moving on, he said building resi lience remains one of the govern ment’s key priorities in allocating development funding, particularly as global challenges continue to weigh on economies worldwide. “Beyond economic growth, we must ensure that our development agenda strengthens the resilience of our society and safeguards the well being of our people.” Akmal Nasrullah said food security remains a growing concern globally and must be addressed as part of the country’s long-term development strategy. “When we talk about growth, it cannot be measured solely by numbers. We also need to ensure that our people are protected and that essential needs, including food security, are addressed.” The government’s development

how investments are managed and implemented. Without that, it becomes much more difficult to achieve our goals.” On funding allocation, the minister said the government would continue to prioritise projects and sectors that can generate the greatest impact. “As we move forward, one of our key priorities is to push for high growth, high-value industries that can strengthen the economy and create better opportunities for the people.” Akmal Nasrullah said Malaysia is well-positioned to strengthen its role in the global semiconductor industry, given its long-established presence in the sector. “Malaysia already has a strong foundation in semicon ductors. The industry has been here for many years, and our focus now is on taking it to the next level.” Akmal Nasrullah noted that Malaysia has built considerable expertise in semiconductor testing and packaging, and is now looking to expand into higher-value segments of the industry. “We are already established in packaging and testing, but the next step is to move into advanced packaging. At the same time, we want to move further up the value chain, including in areas such as integrated circuit design,” he said. Beyond industrial development, Akmal Nasrullah stressed that sustainability remains a key priority in the country’s economic agenda. “When we talk about Malaysia’s future development, sustainability cannot be separated from that conversation.” Akmal Nasrullah pointed to the cularly in improving service systems and raising workforce productivity. “It’s about how do we focus on the applications, how do we further enhance the system of services, how are we going to really increase the productivity of our workers,” he said. At the same time, Akmal Nasrullah noted, the growth of data centres must be balanced by careful management of supporting infra structure, particularly regarding energy demand and the broader energy transition agenda. Beyond digital infrastructure, Akmal Nasrullah said Malaysia’s position in the semiconductor industry also needs strengthening. While the country already plays a role in the backend segment, he said the next step is to move further up the value chain. This includes exploring more

Akmal Nasrullah speaking during the discussion session entitled ‘Navigating External Uncertainties, Strengthening Resilience’ at the Invest Malaysia Conference yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

remains uncertain. For us at the Ministry of Economy, 2026 will be about execution. The plans are in place, and our focus now is on ensuring that they are implemented effectively.” At the same time, policymakers must remain alert to evolving geopolitical developments, trade tensions, tariffs and growing protectionist measures that could affect economic prospects, Akmal Nasrullah said. “One is for the complete subsystems, or also the access to the technology … and now it’s up to the players as well to deliver,” he said. Akmal Nasrullah acknowledged the growing tension around data centre expansion, particularly re garding environmental constraints such as water use and energy demand. He said these challenges need to be managed as the sector expands. At the same time, he suggested that Malaysia’s long-term opportunity lies in ensuring that locally developed chip design capabilities can eventually support domestic infra structure, including data centres. Akmal Nasrullah also pointed to ongoing government support for higher-value segments of the semi conductor ecosystem, including packaging and related downstream activities. - by JOHN GILBERT

priorities are centred on three key pillars – economic transformation, sustainability and social resilience – which will continue to guide policy implementation under the 13th Malaysia Plan. Looking ahead to 2026, Akmal Nasrullah acknowledged that global uncertainties remain, but stressed that the Ministry of Economy is focused on delivering results. “We recognise that the challenges are real and the external environment

Data centres a stepping stone, not an end goal, says minister KUALA LUMPUR: The rapid expansion of data centres in Malaysia is a foundation, not the end goal, of the country’s digital economy ambitions. Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said data centre develop ment should be understood as a prerequisite for broader gains in productivity, services, and the adoption of advanced technology. “For me, data centres are not our end goal. It is a prerequisite for us to venture into something more meaningful, more valuable,” he told delegates during the discussion session entitled “Navigating External Uncertainties, Strengthening Resi lience” at the Invest Malaysia con ference yesterday. advanced areas such as chip design and artificial intelligence-related design work, although he acknow ledged that such moves would require a different set of skills and capabilities. Akmal Nasrullah said Malaysia must weigh its priorities carefully, as not all segments of the semicon ductor value chain offer the same accessibility or cost efficiency com pared with established backend operations. The emphasis, he added, is on balancing immediate strengths with long-term ambitions in higher-value technology segments. resource demands. The country is already working on strengthening its position in IC design, but acknowledged that progress depends heavily on access to tech nology and industry participation, he added. On the broader strategy, Akmal Nasrullah stressed that imple mentation remains the key focus. “It’s an element that we need to address. But access to our local players… that’s why, in terms of my commitment when I came in, it’s like what we agreed on. Regardless of access, it’s about how you execute from our end,” he said.

Several initiatives have been rolled out in recent months to support industry development, including what Akmal Nasrullah described as “six tokens”aimed at improving access and capability-building.

Akmal Nasrullah said Malaysia continues to build its integrated circuit (IC) design capabilities, even as it accelerates investment in data centre infrastructure that is increasingly under scrutiny for its

Akmal Nasrullah stressed that the real focus should be on how digital infrastructure translates into practical outcomes for the economy, parti