KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must move beyond its role in the global supply chain and become a creator and owner of intellectual property, technology and brands.
Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin said design was a key driver in strengthening the country’s industrial capabilities.
“It must be integrated throughout the entire value chain, from the initial stages of product development to commercialisation, in line with the aspirations of the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP),” he said.
His opening remarks at the Kuala Lumpur Design Summit 2026 were delivered by Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Services Sector Development Division senior director Muhammad Zulhilmi Ahmad.
Sim said the increasingly competitive global landscape required Malaysia to move away from cost-based competition towards developing high-value products, making design an economic necessity.
“We need designs that translate into productivity, successful commercialisation and a stronger Malaysian brand capable of standing confidently in the international market,” he said.
He said the creative economy could also generate greater added value for the country’s industrial sector, particularly in the digital era.
The sector not only creates jobs and generates income but also supports entrepreneurs and creative practitioners, including designers, artists and community-based businesses.
Malaysia’s cultural and creative industry contributed RM130.7 billion, or 6.8 per cent of gross domestic product, in 2024, up 7.1 per cent from the previous year. Exports of creative products reached RM63 billion.
“Malaysia possesses talent, a robust industrial sector and a holistic policy framework. What we need now is to bring all these strengths together to connect the dots and transform potential into shared prosperity,” he said.
The creative economy, also known as the orange economy, has been identified as a priority area for future growth under the 13MP and the Asean Socio-Cultural Community pillar.
MITI, in collaboration with the Malaysia Design Council, is also part of a pioneer group working to establish the Asean Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries.
The centre will be set up in Manila, the Philippines, in conjunction with the Philippines’ Asean chairmanship in 2026. — BERNAMA