Budget 2027: Govt rolls out six initiatives to attract global firms, skilled talent

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced initiatives in Budget 2027 to boost Malaysia's business environment and attract global talent, highlighting improved investor confidence.

Introduced measures include extending the Global Services Hub incentive and expanding the DE Rantau Nomad Pass for digital nomads by two more years.

Malaysia plans to ease employment visa conditions for spouses of expatriates and cooperate with Hong Kong for dual stock listings to foster regional business growth.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today the federal government will roll out several initiatives in 2027 to make it easier for global companies to operate in Malaysia and attract top skilled talent.

Tabling Budget 2027, Anwar outlined six initiatives to improve Malaysia’s business environment and competitiveness, amid renewed investor confidence in recent years.

“Reformasi Madani has helped restore investor confidence, with Malaysia rising to 15th place in the World Competitiveness Index in two years.

“Malaysia is also ranked as the top destination for digital nomads in the Rumavi Global Relocation Index 2026,” he told the Dewan Rakyat here.

Among other measures, Anwar said the existing Global Services Hub (GSH) incentive will be further improved starting January 2027.

GSH is a Malaysian government tax and business initiative administered by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida).

“New companies under the GSH incentive will enjoy a special five per cent tax rate on income from GSH activities.

“A five per cent tax rate on income exceeding the baseline income of existing Principal Hub or GSH companies will also be provided.

“The GSH incentive period will also be extended in five-year increments, up to a maximum of 30 years,” he said.

GSH companies managing treasury and fund activities will also be exempted from withholding tax on interest payments and stamp duty on intercompany loan agreements, which also extends to activities under the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) package.

Anwar said existing DE Rantau Nomad Pass — Malaysia’s official long-stay digital nomad visa — holders who had reached the two-year limit will be allowed to stay and work remotely in Malaysia for an additional two years, subject to conditions.

Separately, spouses of expatriates holding Category I Employment Passes and Dependant Passes will also be allowed to work in Malaysia, subject to stipulated conditions beginning next year.

“This is aimed at ensuring Malaysia remains an attractive destination for global talent without requiring their spouses to sacrifice their careers,” he said.

Anwar also announced the introduction of the Malaysian Asean Business Entity (MyABE) status to help Malaysian companies develop across Asean.

“The Securities Commission, in collaboration with TalentCorp, will facilitate preliminary Employment Pass applications for listed MyABE companies, with a target processing time of five working days,” he said.

He said the government was also reviewing the Reinvestment Allowance including its eligibility criteria and incentive structure, to make it more targeted and improve industrial competitiveness.

The Reinvestment Allowance is an incentive provided to encourage reinvestment or continued investment by foreign and domestic investors.

Lastly, Anwar said the Securities Commission and Hong Kong regulators would cooperate to facilitate dual listings by Malaysian companies in both markets, providing matching grants to cover listing costs.

Budget 2027: Government earmarks RM60m for Matrade, RM1b to boost MSME exports

Budget 2027: Government halts public university disciplinary proceedings relating to free speech

Anwar: Voluntary medical insurance MediAsas to kick off in 2027, EPF Akaun Sejahtera can pay premiums

马来西亚总理安瓦尔·易卜拉欣在2027年财政预算案中宣布了一系列举措，旨在改善马来西亚的营商环境，吸引全球人才，并强调投资者信心的提升。

推出的措施包括延长全球服务中心激励计划，并将数字游民的 DE Rantau Nomad Pass 延长两年。

马来西亚计划放宽外籍人士配偶的就业签证条件，并与香港合作进行双重股票上市，以促进区域商业增长。

吉隆坡，10月9日讯——马来西亚首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣今日表示，联邦政府将于2027年推出多项举措，使全球企业更容易在马来西亚开展业务，并吸引顶尖人才。

安华在提交 2027 年预算案时，概述了六项旨在改善马来西亚营商环境和竞争力的举措，以应对近年来投资者信心的复苏。

“马来西亚改革帮助恢复了投资者信心，两年内马来西亚在全球竞争力指数中排名上升至第 15 位。

“在 Rumavi 2026 年全球搬迁指数中，马来西亚也被评为数字游民的首选目的地，”他在此间告诉国会下议院。

安华表示，除其他措施外，现有的全球服务中心（GSH）激励措施将从2027年1月起进一步改进。

GSH 是马来西亚政府的一项税收和商业计划，由马来西亚投资发展局 (Mida) 管理。

“根据 GSH 激励措施成立的新公司将享受 GSH 活动收入 5% 的特殊税率。

对于超过现有主要枢纽或 GSH 公司基准收入的收入，还将实行 5% 的税率。

“GSH奖励期限也将以五年为单位延长，最长可达30年，”他说。

管理财务和基金活动的 GSH 公司也将免除利息支付的预扣税和公司间贷款协议的印花税，该规定也适用于柔佛-新加坡经济特区 (JS-SEZ) 一揽子计划下的活动。

安华表示，持有马来西亚官方长期数字游民签证（DE Rantau Nomad Pass）且已达到两年期限的现有持证人，将被允许在马来西亚远程停留和工作两年，但需满足相关条件。

此外，从明年开始，持有第一类就业准证和家属准证的外籍人士的配偶也将获准在马来西亚工作，但需遵守相关规定。

他说：“这样做是为了确保马来西亚继续保持对全球人才的吸引力，同时又不让他们的配偶牺牲自己的事业。”

安华还宣布推出马来西亚东盟商业实体（MyABE）地位，以帮助马来西亚公司在东盟地区发展。

他说：“证券委员会将与人才机构合作，为上市的MyABE公司提供初步就业准证申请便利，目标是在五个工作日内完成处理。”

他表示，政府也在审查再投资补贴政策，包括其资格标准和激励机制，以使其更具针对性并提高产业竞争力。

再投资补贴是为鼓励国内外投资者进行再投资或持续投资而提供的激励措施。

最后，安华表示，证券委员会和香港监管机构将合作，促进马来西亚公司在两个市场进行双重上市，并提供配套补助金以支付上市费用。

2027年财政预算案：政府拨款6000万令吉给马来西亚对外贸易发展局（MATRADE），10亿令吉用于促进中小微企业出口

2027年预算案：政府暂停公立大学与言论自由相关的纪律处分程序

安华：自愿医疗保险MediAsas将于2027年启动，EPF Akaun Sejahtera可支付保费