Malaysia Can Become A Top-30 Economy -- Abdul Wahid

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- Malaysia can become one of the world’s 30 largest economies if its annual nominal gross domestic product (GDP) growth outpaces that of other countries by at least two percentage points, according to Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar.

He is currently chairman of Cypark Resources Bhd, IOI Corporation Bhd, WWF-Malaysia and the MySDG Foundation, co-chairman of Sunway Bhd, and pro-chancellor of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.

Abdul Wahid said Malaysia is currently ranked 35th, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which ranks 30th, has an economy about 20 per cent larger than Malaysia’s.

“The countries occupying positions ahead of us will continue to grow,” he said during the second Wisdom Malaysia Conference 2026 here today.

He said this meant Malaysia would have to expand at a faster pace to narrow the gap and move into the ranks of the world’s 30 largest economies.

Abdul Wahid said countries ranked above Malaysia would continue to expand, while emerging economies ranked below Malaysia, including the Philippines and Bangladesh, also aspired to achieve faster growth.

“So, for us to potentially become number 30 or better, we have to outpace the growth of the other countries by at least two percentage points in nominal terms,” he said.

He said Malaysia’s economy was currently performing reasonably well despite global challenges, recording a growth of about five per cent in real terms.

“In nominal terms, Malaysia’s economy is expanding by around seven per cent. However, we must sustain this growth momentum to achieve the top-30 target,” he said.

He added that achieving the target would require the country to continue introducing appropriate policies to attract greater investments from both foreign and domestic sources.

Organised by Kerjaya One PLT, the second Wisdom Malaysia Conference 2026 serves as a platform for current and former industry leaders to share their knowledge, experience, and insights with leaders, emerging leaders, and professionals.

The conference features learning sessions on leadership, discernment skills, and transformation case studies, as well as question-and-answer and networking sessions to enable participants to gain practical insights from the speakers.

-- BERNAMA