MANUFACTURING

From being an importer of petrochemicals, Malaysia is today an exporter of major petrochemical products. A wide range of petrochemicals are produced in Malaysia such as olefins, polyolefins, aromatics, ethylene oxides, glycols, oxo-alcohols, acrylic acids, phthalic anhydride, acetic acid, styrene monomer, high impact polystyrene, ethyl benzene, vinyl chloride monomer and polyvinyl chloride and polybutylene terephthalate. These world scale plants have also contributed significantly to the development of local downstream plastic processing activities by providing a steady supply of feedstock material for the plastic industry. These factors have led the plastic products industry to become one of the most dynamic industries amongst Malaysia’s manufacturing sector.

The plastic industry can be divided into four sub-sectors, namely packaging sub-sector, electrical & electronics and automotive components sub-sector, consumer and industrial products sub-sector and others. The packaging sub-sector, both flexible and rigid (including bags, films, bottles and containers), remains the largest market for the plastic industry. The main production processes involved in the plastic producers industry are injection moulding, pipes and profiles extrusion and foam moulding.

Aside from the plastic industry, Tanjung Piai Maritime Industrial Park could also be the ideal place to attract high value added manufacturing activities on the advanced electrical and electronics, renewable energy, aerospace, security and defence, medical devices and many others.