Malaysia
Malaysia │Malaysia
The garment, textile and apparel industry in Malaysia was an early success story and growth miracle amid an export-oriented industrial transformation that started in the early 1980s. Despite being overtaken by other manufacturing sectors since then, some 68,000 workers are still employed across more than 970 factories in the country, of which over 400 are making ready-made garments, while others are engaged in related activities such as spinning, weaving and textile accessories. The garment sector is Malaysia’s eleventh largest export earner, generating incomes of around USD 3.2 billion per year. Key markets for Malaysian garments include the United States, Japan and Turkey.
The domestic manufacturing market is highly fragmented between large international companies and smaller local enterprises. In recent years, the Government has taken steps to encourage new business growth in the sector, by reducing regulations and initiation procedures, thus lowering barriers to market entry. Nevertheless, Malaysia faces fierce and growing competition from lower cost neighbours such as Bangladesh and Cambodia, and is increasingly having to look for premium product segments for competitive advantage. With a workforce dominated by migrants from other Asian countries, the sector has also faced scrutiny for labour rights violations and poor working conditions.
Population
Total
32,776,000 (2021)
Gross Domestic Product
GDP per Capita (constant USD, thousand)
10,827.3 (2021)
Human Development Index Ranking
HDI Rank (out of 191 countries)
62 (2021)
Garment/Textile Workers
Number of workers in the garment/textile sector
68,000 (2019)
Women Workers in the Garment/Textile Industry
Percentage of women workers employed in the garment/textile industry
N/A
Number of Garment/Textile Factories
Number of factories in the garment/textile industry
970 (2019)
Garment/Textile Industry Exports
(USD$ billion)
USD 3.2452 billion (2019)
Garment/Textile Industry Size
Percentage of total exports
1.7% (2019)
Key Garment/Textile Export Markets
Top five countries ($USD value exported and subsequent percentage)
Country | Percentage of Exports |
---|---|
United States | 12.28% |
Japan | 10.27% |
Turkey | 9.06% |
Indonesia | 8.16% |
China | 7.79% |
Government Entities
Government agencies actively involved in the garment/textile industry
Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI)
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE)
Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)
Worker Organizations
Trade unions, Union federations, and other worker organizations
Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC)
Indonesian Migrant Domestic Workers Association (PERTIMIG)
Employer/Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce
Employers and industry related associations, private sectors associations and chambers of commerce
Malaysia Knitting Manufacturers Association (MKMA)
Malaysian Textile Manufacturers Association (MTMA)
Malaysian Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA)
Malaysian Garments Markeeters Association (MGMA)
Malaysia Garments Wholesale Merchants Association
Federation of Textiles General Goods & Garment Merchants Associations of Malaysia (FTGAM)
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM)
Federation of Malaysian Fashion Textiles and Apparels
Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF)
Malaysian Textile and Apparel Centre (MATAC)
American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM)
Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCCI)
Malaysian International Chamber Of Commerce and Industry (MICCI)
Malaysian - Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MITCCI)
The Association Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM)
The Association Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sarawak (ACCCIS)
The Chinese Chamber Of Commerce and Industry of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor
The National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia
Development Agencies/ International Organizations
National and international development organizations working within the garment/textile industry
Civil Society Organizations/ Non-governmental Organizations
Organizations working within the garment/textile industry
Sources of data provided
- Population: https://population.un.org/wpp/DataQuery/
- GDP Per Capita: GDP per capita (constant 2015 US$) | Data (worldbank.org)
- HDI: Country Insights | Human Development Reports (undp.org)
- Garment / Textile Workers: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)
- Number of factories: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)
- Garment/Textile Industry Exports: Malaysia Textiles and Clothing Exports by country & region 2019 | WITS Data (worldbank.org)
- Garment / Textile Industry Size: Malaysia Textiles and Clothing Exports by country & region 2019 | WITS Data (worldbank.org)
- Key Garment / Textile Export Markets: Malaysia Textiles and Clothing Exports by country & region 2020 | WITS Data (worldbank.org)
*Textiles and Clothing Exports in 2020
News on Malaysia
Garment Workers in Asia Need ILO Convention 190
“Ijah, you know, right, if you take maternity leave, your contract will expire? So don’t even think of taking maternity leave,” said the factory supervisor one afternoon when Ijah was about to leave her line to rest.
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