By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, May 7 — Selangor is preparing for a “second lift-off” in economic ties with Japan, said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari as he unveils record-breaking investment figures and pro-business reforms during the Selangor Investment Forum at Expo 2025 Osaka.
Delivering his keynote address today, he noted that Selangor secured US$22.78 billion (RM96.56 billion) in approved investments last year, the highest in the state’s history, and contributed 25.9 per cent to Malaysia’s gross domestic product in 2023, amounting to US$85.5 billion (RM362.4 billion).
“This success did not happen by chance. It is the result of strategic planning, strong infrastructure, world-class connectivity, a skilled talent pool, and business-friendly policies that make Selangor the preferred investment destination in Southeast Asia,” Amirudin said to Japanese industry leaders and business delegates during the forum at the Rihga Royal Hotel in Osaka.
With Japan having played a formative role in Selangor’s economic development since the 1960s, he called for deeper collaboration in high-value sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, renewable energy, and sustainable waste management.
“With companies prepared to move swiftly in manufacturing, healthcare, renewable energy, and sustainable waste management, I believe that a partnership in 2025 and beyond involving Selangor and Japan can represent a second lift off for both our economies,” Amirudin said.
While both countries faced 21st-century challenges, from ageing populations to climate change, these very challenges hold vast potential for innovation and partnership.
“Instead of looking at that as a threat, I believe that — through the innate entrepreneurial nature shared by both our peoples — it is an opportunity for us to innovate.
“As our peoples mature and live longer, we must find ways to make our cities live equally long, if not even longer. We must also find ways to make our cities more resilient to changing weather patterns, as climate change looms larger on the horizon than ever before,” he said.
To strengthen Selangor’s appeal to Japanese investors, the Menteri Besar announced the upcoming Speed Selangor Policy, an initiative to reduce bureaucratic red tape and cut the time needed to start a business.
“In the coming months, we are set to launch the Speed Selangor Policy to save you further time to start and operate a business, from as long as three months to within 14 days for commercial and industrial areas with a master plan,” he said.
Selangor is firmly committed to transparency and the rule of law, promising a clear regulatory environment and zero tolerance for corruption.
“A business should begin with a handshake and not a shakedown,” Amirudin said.
He pointed out Selangor’s long-term sustainability goals, anchored in the First Selangor Plan (RS-1), Malaysia’s first medium-term state development blueprint, launched in 2022.
The plan focuses on urban rejuvenation through agencies like the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS), alongside policies to embed climate resilience and effective waste management.
Drawing inspiration from Japan’s renowned recycling practices and civic discipline, Amirudin said Selangor hopes to emulate such standards as it develops more sustainable urban centres.
He also stressed the importance of Selangor’s young, educated workforce in driving the state’s next growth phase.
“Selangor’s most precious resource is our young people. They have a thirst and hunger for knowledge, and that is why under my administration, we are committed to giving them the tools and resources, the training and support, so that a few years from now, they will be sitting in this room with you,” Amirudin said.
The forum also showcased the Managed Industrial Parks (MIPs) in Selangor, which offers turnkey infrastructure and investment facilitation for Japanese firms seeking to expand regionally.
