New Strategic Investment Passes & Digital Nomad Passes issued for Malaysia's manufacturing sector

The Digital Nomad Pass aims to address the "critical lack" of high-skilled and professional industry talent in manufacturing, Minister Zafrul said.

Strategic investors who commit quality investments worth at least RM5bn in targeted manufacturing sectors in Malaysia can receive immigration facilitation, the country's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) has announced.

As cited by Bernama, the Ministry said the sectors involved are those being promoted by the government through its New Investment Policy and upcoming New Industrial Master Plan 2030. The report also noted that strategic investors can be granted tailored Residence Pass Talent (RP-T) without the needing an existing employment pass or having prior work experience in Malaysia.

In that vein, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim presented the first batch of Strategic Investor Passes (SIP) for those who have committed to the above value.

Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, who witnessed the presentation, said the SIP will allow these investors to stay in Malaysia for up to 10 years, and that the pass issuance comes following feedback from investors suggesting smoother out-of-country facilities, especially strategic investors.

Alongside the presentation of the SIP, PM Anwar also presented a batch of Digital Nomad Passes. As shared by Minister Zafrul, a frequently raised issue on the topic of digital workers and skills has been the "critical lack" of high-skilled and professional industry talent, especially in high-tech and new technologies. To address this, he said the Government will expand the scope of the Pass to include manufacturing-related skills.

"This means, qualified professional talents such as integrated electrical and electronic circuit designers can reside in Malaysia for up to two years."

Overall, PM Anwar noted that the issuance of both passes "aims to encourage the inclusion of quality investment and the mobility of digital professionals in the country."

 The immigration facilitation involves the following ministries and agencies:

• MITI
• Ministry of Home Affairs
• Ministry of Human Resources
• Ministry of Communications and Digital
• Immigration Department of Malaysia
• Malaysia Investment Development Authority
• Talent Corporation
• Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation

As shared in Bernama's report, the immigration facilitation for both groups – nomad workers and strategic investors – in the manufacturing sector was announced on 14 July, to "improve the ease of doing business" as well as facilitate foreign direct and domestic direct investments in Malaysia.

Photo / PM Anwar's Facebook