Malaysia Seeks REE Investors To Share Technology, Develop Full Supply Chain - Johari

IPOH, Aug 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysia wants investors exploring rare earth element (REE) opportunities in the country to bring and share their technology and participate directly across the entire supply chain, from upstream to downstream activities.

Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said the approach would ensure Malaysia does not merely export raw materials but captures greater value from the critical minerals.

"REEs are in very high demand and are critical minerals needed for the development of almost every technology in the world today.

"But to fully benefit from REEs, investors must bring their technology, share it with us and participate directly in the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors. Otherwise, we will continue looking for parties willing to commit and share their technology with us," he told reporters after attending the Invest in Perak Day 2026 programme, officiated by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad.

Johari said the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) would focus on midstream and downstream processing, while the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) would oversee upstream activities.

He said Malaysia would also review regulations, laws and technology requirements, including safeguards for investors' intellectual property and trade secrets.

"We need to ensure confidentiality for our partners. If they bring their technology, they do not want it to be shared with others, so we need the necessary laws to protect that," he said.

Earlier in his speech, Johari said the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and MITI should jointly discuss measures to ensure their direct involvement in midstream and downstream activities, while state governments should have full involvement in upstream activities.

Meanwhile, Saarani said the Perak government did not want to rush into developing the REE industry and would instead focus on selecting capable investors committed to transferring their expertise.

On the status of REE investments in Perak, he said about 75 per cent of approved investment commitments had been realised, while the remainder were still being implemented.

"Once we have investment commitments, we want all of them to be realised, but this usually takes time," he added.

-- BERNAMA