Chemicals Advance Materials – Plastic Products

The plastic products industry in Malaysia is well-established and supports the growth of many other important manufacturing industries, such as E&E, automotive, aerospace, medical devices, and food packaging industries, through the supply of plastic parts and components, plastic packaging materials, as well as various high-performance plastics. Currently, there are more than 1,300 plastic products manufacturers in Malaysia.

The growth of the domestic downstream plastic processing activities is attributed to the existence of a developed petrochemical sector in Malaysia. It provides a steady supply of materials for the plastic industry with world-scale resin production facilities producing polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyacetal (PA), polyester copolymers, styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). Malaysia is able to produce high quality and environmental friendly plastic packaging products at competitive prices.

The plastic products industry faces both opportunities and challenges moving ahead. Opportunities abound in the efforts to diversify into high-end plastic products, engineering plastics, and bio-plastics for packaging. Capitalising on these opportunities will depend on industry players demonstrating strong capabilities throughout the entire value chain from R&D activities to product distribution, and engaging in collaborative activities with universities, research institutions, and suppliers. The industry would therefore be able to innovate more heavily and manufacture specialised plastic products to cater for niche markets such as automotive, E&E, medical devices, and aerospace. To this end, MIDA is working closely with the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA) and SIRIM to develop a designated centre of excellence to produce highpotential plastic manufacturers and products.