Government Journey

Tengku Zafrul Aziz began his government service in March 2020 when he was appointed as a Senator and Malaysia’s Minister of Finance during one of the most challenging periods in the nation’s history. Tasked with managing the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, he led the formulation and implementation of eight stimulus and assistance packages worth RM530 billion, oversaw the National Recovery Plan, and secured Parliamentary approval for expansionary budgets aimed at supporting households, businesses, and economic recovery. These efforts contributed to Malaysia achieving GDP growth of 8.7% in 2022, the highest among ASEAN economies. In December 2022, he was appointed Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry (MITI), where he spearheaded key national initiatives including the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), National Semiconductor Strategy, ESG Industry Framework, Chemical Industry Roadmap, Green Investment Strategy, and Circular Economy Policy Framework. During his tenure, Malaysia recorded a historic RM426.7 billion in approved investments and surpassed RM3 trillion in total trade in 2025, while also improving its position to 23rd in the World Competitiveness Ranking 2025. He further led negotiations on the Malaysia–United States Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, resulting in reduced US tariffs on Malaysian exports. Following his ministerial service, he was appointed Chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and Senior Political Advisor to the Prime Minister of Malaysia.