MITI To Strengthen National Design Ecosystem - Tengku Zafrul

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), through the Malaysia Design Council (MRM), will continue to strengthen the national design ecosystem through three key priorities.

MITI Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz stated that the key priorities include encouraging collaboration among designers, manufacturers, and academia; strengthening design standards and certification frameworks; and integrating design thinking into entrepreneurship.

"Our ambition is clear, to make design a national competitive advantage, and to grow the creative economy into a key pillar of Malaysia’s industrial transformation," he said during the Malaysia Good Design Award and Certified Industrial Designer Award 2025 ceremony here tonight. 

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According to Tengku Zafrul, Malaysia’s digital creative sector generated RM5.3 billion in revenue, with exports nearing RM800 million, and more than 10,000 high-skilled jobs created in 2023.

He said the broader creative economy contributed RM29.4 billion, or about 1.9 per cent of the nation's gross domestic product ( GDP).  "As these numbers grow, the message is clear - design is not a luxury, it is a growth driver for Malaysia’s economy," he added. 

The minister said design will continue to play a pivotal role in driving productivity, supporting environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, and helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large corporations compete globally under the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 and the 13th Malaysia Plan.

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Meanwhile, Tengku Zafrul also introduced the Kuala Lumpur Design Summit (KLDS) 2026, which he described as a “defining milestone that reflects the MRM’s steadfast vision to elevate Malaysia as a regional hub for design and innovation.”

-- BERNAMA