Malaysia continues to be an attractive destination for foreign direct investment from around the world, especially Japan. According to the latest figures from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, direct investment from Japan in Malaysia totaled $9.2 billion in 2015 and initiatives such as the Kulim Hi-Tech Park (KHTP) has helped to smooth the way for Japanese companies looking to set up shop in the Southeast Asian nation.
KHTP is a strategic national economic development. Located in northern Malaysia in the state of Kedah, which includes the resort island of Langkawi and borders Thailand, KHTP is partially funded by the federal government and administered by the state government.
Since opening as Malaysia's first high-tech science park in 1996 and welcoming its first client, the U.S. chip making computer technology giant Intel Corp., KHTP has attracted a wealth of multinational industrial tenants such as German company Osram GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, Fuji Electric Co. and Panasonic Corp.