Industry & Retail

A key contributor to the economy, manufacturing accounted for 24.5% of Malaysia’s GDP in 2013, ranking it second only to the services sector (55.2%) and well ahead of mining (8.1%), agriculture (7.1%) and construction (3.8%). As Malaysia increases its global trade via participation in trade agreements such as ASEAN and the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), enhancing efficiencies and competencies is becoming crucial for the country to maintain its economic edge. As the global economic recovery begins to accelerate, investment into Malaysia’s industrial sector is rebounding from an off year, with the country attracting 29% more approved capital inflows in 2013 than the previous year. With Malaysia’s natural resource base able to provide a wealth of inputs for downstream applications, in addition to the country’s strong base of supportive services, cost competitiveness and strategic location within ASEAN, the domestic manufacturing sector is well placed for further expansion. This chapter contains an interview with Alois Hofbauer, Regional Head, Nestlé Malaysia/Singapore.