Announcements-BUDGET 2026-MALAYSIA

• ASEAN Business Entity (ABE) Status: Makes it easier for skilled workers to travel around, which helps Malaysian companies grow across ASEAN.

• Investor Pass: 12-month Multiple Entry Visa; E&E and key sectors

• Residence Pass – Talent Fast Track: For strategic investors’ talents.

• In the first half of 2025, the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) got RM 37.1 billion in approved investments.

• The Forest City Special Financial Zone (FCSFZ) has a Single Family Office Incentive Scheme that aims to reach 2 billion in AUM by the end of 2026.

• The New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) Industry Development Fund will help high-impact industries like pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, AI, digital tech, and sustainability.

• Ekuinas to develop portfolio companies for listing or acquisition by PNB.

• Khazanah and KWAP are putting RM 550 million into the semiconductor ecosystem to improve cooperation and make it stronger.

The government made Malaysia a stronger regional hub by adding a number of tools to help, such as the ABE framework, the Investor Pass, and the Residence Pass – Talent Fast Track. These programs are meant to make it easier to invest across borders, make it easier for talented people to move around, and bring in multinational and high-tech companies who want a solid foothold in Southeast Asia.

 It was also said that the JS-SEZ has already gotten RM 37.1 billion in approved investments in the first half of 2025. This is 66% of Johor's total. In addition, it has already drawn in new investment promises of RM 29 billion.

 The FCSFZ's Single-Family Office Incentive Scheme has already approved six family offices with around RM 400 million in AUM in less than a year. Another 30 family offices have shown interest, which means that Malaysia is on course to reach RM 2 billion in AUM by the end of 2026. On October 3, 2025, the appropriate tax statutory orders were published in the Gazette. They offered favorable tax breaks and exclusions to make FCSFZ the best place for SFOs, wealth management, and high-value investment activities.

 Malaysia is preparing for the future by making big, smart investments in industries that are worth a lot. The government is using the NIMP Industry Development Fund (NIDF) to pay for programs that help the pharmaceutical, semiconductor, AI, digitalization, and sustainability industries grow. This will lead to higher productivity, technological leadership, and long-term competitiveness. Malaysia has also gotten investments in AI and data centers from big IT companies around the world, including:

 Microsoft has set up the Microsoft National AI Innovation Center and the Western Malaysia Cloud Region.

 Google is putting up a new data center in Selangor and teaching civil officials how to use AI.

 AWS is helping small and medium-sized businesses go digital by using machine learning and big data analytics.

 Malaysia's answer to a world full of uncertainty and growing competition is a growth strategy that looks to the future and is based on resilience. The main goals are to speed up innovation, create good jobs, use AI in all areas, deepen ASEAN integration, make the economy more secure, and boost tourism before Visit Malaysia 2026 to boost services-led growth.

 So, it's apparent that Budget 2026 is meant to support the three pillars of Ekonomi MADANI: [2]

Driving Reform, notably in governance, transparency, and institutional strength; Raising the Ceiling by driving national growth through high-tech and high-impact investments; and Raising the Floor by improving living standards and increasing economic participation.

 These projects all show that Malaysia is not only getting ready for the future, but also doing something about it.