KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry will continue strengthening the national design ecosystem through three key priorities.
Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz stated these priorities include encouraging collaboration among designers, manufacturers, and academia.
He said the ministry will also strengthen design standards and certification frameworks while integrating design thinking into entrepreneurship.
“Our ambition is clear, to make design a national competitive advantage, and to grow the creative economy into a key pillar of Malaysia’s industrial transformation,“ he said during the Malaysia Good Design Award and Certified Industrial Designer Award 2025 ceremony.
Tengku Zafrul revealed Malaysia’s digital creative sector generated RM5.3 billion in revenue with exports nearing RM800 million last year.
He added that more than 10,000 high-skilled jobs were created in the digital creative sector during 2023.
The minister noted the broader creative economy contributed RM29.4 billion or about 1.9% of the nation’s gross domestic product.
“As these numbers grow, the message is clear - design is not a luxury, it is a growth driver for Malaysia’s economy,“ he emphasized.
Tengku Zafrul said design will continue playing a pivotal role in driving productivity and supporting environmental, social, and governance initiatives.
He added that design will help small and medium enterprises and large corporations compete globally under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and the 13th Malaysia Plan.
Meanwhile, the minister introduced the Kuala Lumpur Design Summit 2026 as a defining milestone for Malaysia’s design vision.
He described the summit as reflecting the Malaysia Design Council’s steadfast vision to elevate Malaysia as a regional hub for design and innovation. – Bernama
