MALAYSIA’S SERVICES ACCOUNT SURPLUS MARKS STRONGER ECONOMIC REBOUND -- PERDASAMA

By Thivyamalini Ramalu

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- The government’s recent achievement of a services account surplus marks a stronger momentum of recovery for Malaysia’s economy, driven by fiscal discipline, targeted subsidy measures, and more deliberate economic restructuring. 

The Malay Traders and Entrepreneurs Association of Malaysia (Perdasama) president Mohd Azamanizam Baharon said the combination of measures also supported the momentum of the services sector and raised investor confidence in the country’s growth prospects. 

“This surplus of services account does not mean that all bureaucratic hurdles have been completely overcome. 

“But, we cannot deny that several improvements in the government delivery system, including faster approval processes, digitalisation of services and simplification of procedures, have also helped raise investor confidence and the smooth running of economic activities,” he said when contacted by Bernama recently. 

He was commenting on the national services account report, which recorded a surplus of RM0.7 billion in the third quarter of 2025, thus marking an increasingly strong economic rebound after more than 14 years of continuous deficits.

The Ministry of Finance recently announced that for the first nine months of 2025, the economy grew by 4.7 per cent, thus proving the country’s resilience and strong foundation in facing global challenges. 

The ministry said that, in terms of the balance of payments, the current account recorded a surplus of RM12.2 billion, or 2.5 per cent of gross national income (GNI), indicating a resilient goods and services account. 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Nov 18 said the achievement of a RM0.7 billion surplus was driven by the MADANI Economy strategies, digital transformation through the New Industrial Master Plan, the energy transition agenda, the National Semiconductor Strategy and high-impact sectors such as data centres. 

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said the rapid development of data centres has benefited the national economy.

He said that despite their construction requiring substantial initial imports, the assets eventually generate significant services exports after the start of operations, thereby contributing to the overall improvement of the services sector. 

Mohd Azamanizam said Perdasama was confident that the results of orderly fiscal management would continue to improve investor confidence, encourage new investment activities, and strengthen Malaysia’s economic position as a competitive investment destination in the ASEAN region. 

He said Perdasama, which represents more than 27,000 Bumiputera micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) members nationwide, also described the country’s fiscal success as an important foundation for expanding the MSME ecosystem. 

“This achievement can boost trade activities and open up wider space for local entrepreneurs to participate in strategic value chains, including the halal, digital, modern agriculture and renewable energy sectors,” he said. 

He also expressed Perdasama’s commitment to working closely with the government to ensure that bumiputera entrepreneurs benefit from the country’s economic growth through the MSME digitalisation programme, the development of the halal ecosystem, the empowerment of domestic and international trade networks, and the participation of entrepreneurs in high-value sectors. 

-- BERNAMA