Tengku Zafrul: Malaysia should assess investors by job quality, treatment of women

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Investors in Malaysia should be evaluated based on the quality of jobs they generate and how they treat employees, especially women, according to Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) chairman Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. Fair wages, secure work environments, and flexible work schedules should be crucial factors when assessing investments.

“Investors we invite to Malaysia should be judged by how they treat the women who work for them,” Zafrul declared in his opening remarks at the 2026 Annual Women Economic Forum and G100 Global Meet. Drawing on McKinsey research, Zafrul stated that enhancing women's equality could inject an additional US$4.5 trillion (RM18.4 trillion) each year into Asia-Pacific economies, with Malaysia potentially reaping around US$50 billion annually, representing roughly eight percent of its gross domestic product.

Zafrul argued that increased female workforce participation, coupled with equal access to capital and markets for women entrepreneurs, would bolster the economy's productive potential. “When more women participate in and stay in the workforce, when women entrepreneurs have equal access to capital and markets, and when talented women ascend to senior leadership roles, we augment the economy's overall productivity,” he explained.

Zafrul noted that Malaysia's female labor force participation reached a record 56.6 percent by the end of 2025, yet many women exited the workforce post-graduation due to insufficient childcare support and caregiving duties. He emphasized the necessity of addressing these obstacles to enable more women to remain economically active.

Zafrul emphasized that empowering women was vital to unlocking Malaysia's economic potential, especially as nations vied for talent, productivity, and innovation. “In an era where every country is competing for talent, productivity, and innovation, leaving women behind is not merely unjust; it is economically irrational,” he asserted.