KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 5): The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said hard disk drive manufacturer Western Digital Sdn Bhd will invest RM2.3 billion to upgrade its facilities and increase its output capacity in Malaysia.

In a statement, the PMO said this was agreed upon during a meeting between Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Western Digital group chairman Datuk Dr Syed Hussian Aljunid today, which brings the total investment by the group in the country close to RM18 billion.

The new investment will go towards increasing its facility and factory capacity in Western Digital Media Penang and Western Digital Sarawak, it said, noting that the group had exported a total of RM18 billion worth of products in 2019.

“The additional investment will benefit the nation’s economy, besides creating new jobs for over 2,000 locals,” said the PMO.

The office said that the Prime Minister welcomes companies that are interested in investing in high-impact technology-based industries in Malaysia.

“The Government through the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and other related agencies are always committed to attracting and convincing investors to invest or make additional investments in Malaysia.

“The commitment of the Western Digital group reflects the high confidence of foreign investors in the Government to continue to expand their investments and operations in Malaysia,” it said.