Melaka Records Over RM800 Million Investment In Q1 2025

MELAKA, Aug 24 (Bernama) -- Melaka recorded investments worth RM855.63 million in the first quarter of this year, covering strategic sectors such as manufacturing and services.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh attributed this to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Domestic Direct Investment (DDI), which reached RM8.18 billion last year, surpassing the initial target of RM5 billion and positioning Melaka as a premier investment destination in the country.

"At the same time, the state government is taking proactive steps through strategic developments such as the MCORP High Tech Park, German Technology Park (GTP) and ELKAY 2.0, which will serve as catalysts for high-tech industries, further supporting the RM10 billion investment target by 2030," he said.

He said this in his speech at the investiture ceremony of state honours, decorations and medals in conjunction with the 76th birthday celebration of the Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Ali Rustam, at Seri Negeri here today.

Touching on the state's economic achievements, Ab Rauf said Melaka continues to record encouraging growth, with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increasing 4.4 per cent to RM48.9 billion in 2024, compared to RM46.9 billion the previous year.

"The state's per capita income increased to RM54,553, while the unemployment rate was reduced to 1.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, far lower than the national rate of 3.1 per cent.

"All these achievements are part of more than 100 successes achieved in the past two years under my leadership.

"In line with this, the state's development direction through the Melakaku Maju Jaya 2035 Strategic Plan (PSMJ 2035) has also recorded progress, achieving 57 per cent of overall targets as of June 2025," he said.

Ab Rauf added that in the tourism sector, Melaka received over 15 million tourists, generating a revenue of RM12.68 billion in 2024 and that as of July this year, 8.89 million tourists contributed RM4.48 billion in revenue.

"This success has also gained international recognition, as Melaka won the 2025 Tourism Industry Award organised by the Malaysia International Tourism Development Association (MiTDA) in three major categories-Best Melaka UNESCO Heritage Site Promotion by the Melaka Tourism Promotion Division; Best Iconic Tourist Attraction by Menara Taming Sari; and Best City Budget Hotel by Queenspark Lovita Hotel, Melaka.

"At the same time, the Melaka Bila Larut Malam programme continues to record encouraging response, attracting over 87,000 visitors last year, while as of August 2025, the number of visitors has exceeded 70,000 with spending reaching RM22.04 million," he said.

Moving forward, the Chief Minister said Melaka is launching over 800 tourism products, spanning various segments to meet the target of 16.5 million tourists and RM17.97 billion in tourism revenue in 2025.

"With preparations now 90 per cent complete, Melaka is set to welcome the world in conjunction with World Tourism Day and the 2025 World Tourism Conference, followed by Visit Malaysia 2026 ," he said.

-- BERNAMA