Baku:Investors in Malaysia should be evaluated based on the quality of the jobs they create and their treatment of workers, especially women, stated Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) chairman Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tengku Zafrul emphasized that fair wages, safe workplaces, and flexible working arrangements should be essential criteria for quality investments. He stressed the importance of how investors treat female employees, asserting that good jobs, fair pay, and safe work environments are the new standards for quality investments.

Citing McKinsey research, he noted that promoting women's equality could add US$4.5 trillion annually to Asia-Pacific economies, with Malaysia potentially benefiting by approximately US$50 billion each year, which is about eight percent of the country's gross domestic product. He advocated for greater female workforce participation and equal access to capital and markets for women entrepreneurs to enhance the economy's productive capacity.

Tengku Zafrul pointed out that Malaysia's female labor force participation rate reached a record 56.6 percent at the end of 2025. However, many women exit the workforce after graduation due to inadequate childcare support and caregiving responsibilities. He highlighted the need to address these barriers to enable more women to remain economically active.

Furthermore, he stressed that empowering women is crucial for unlocking Malaysia's economic potential, especially in a global context where countries vie for talent, productivity, and innovation. Leaving women behind, he argued, is both unjust and economically irrational.