Can a Foreign Company Buy a Factory or Industrial Land in Malaysia? What to Check Before Signing 外资企业可以在马来西亚购买厂房或工业土地吗？签约前必须核实什么？
Answer first/ 先说答案Yes, potentially. A foreign investor or foreign-owned business can acquire certain factories and industrial land in Malaysia, but the transaction is not automatic. The legal buyer must be eligible to hold the land, the proposed acquisition may require State Authority consent, the property must not fall within a prohibited or restricted category, and the company’s intended manufacturing or logistics activity must match the title, planning, building and operating approvals.
原则上有可能。外国投资者或外资企业可以在马来西亚购买部分厂房和工业土地，但交易不会自动获准。法律上的买方必须有资格持有相关土地；外国利益收购可能需要州政府批准；物业不能属于禁止或受限制类别；企业拟进行的制造、仓储或物流活动，也必须与地契、规划、建筑及营运批准相符。
Registering a Malaysian company does not by itself remove the foreign-interest rules. An “industrial” title does not prove that the buyer’s exact activity is approved. A seller accepting an offer does not guarantee that the transfer can be registered.
成立一家马来西亚公司，并不会自动避开外国利益收购规则。“工业用途地契”也不能证明买方的具体生产活动已经获批。卖方接受报价，更不表示产权一定能够过户。
The practical question is therefore not only:
因此，真正的问题不只是：
“Can a foreign company own industrial property in Malaysia?”
“外资企业可不可以拥有马来西亚工业地产？”
It is:
而是：
“Can this buyer acquire this specific title in this state, use the property for this exact project, obtain the required approvals and complete within the project timetable?”
“这个买方能否在这个州属购买这张具体地契，并在这里合法开展拟议项目、取得所有必要批准及按计划完成交易？”
Malaysia’s federal land authority states that land may be transferred to a non-Malaysian citizen or foreign company with approval from the State Authority. It also notes that transfers affected by restrictions in interest, caveats, charges or leases require the relevant prior consents. (JKPTG land-owner guidance)
马来西亚联邦土地部门说明，非马来西亚公民或外国公司在取得州政府批准后，才可接受土地转让。若地契有利益限制、私人禁令、抵押或租赁，也须先取得相关同意。(JKPTG土地业主指南)
The National Land Code is the principal land-administration law for Peninsular Malaysia, but it does not apply in Sabah and Sarawak. Projects in those states require advice under their respective land regimes. (JKPTG National Land Code overview)
《国家土地法典》是马来半岛土地行政的主要法律，但不适用于沙巴及砂拉越。这两个州属的项目必须按照各自土地制度取得专业意见。(JKPTG国家土地法典说明)
The six approval layers in one view 六层审批，一张表看懂
These layers interact. A legally transferable title can still be operationally unsuitable; an excellent factory can still be unavailable to the proposed purchaser; and an approved manufacturing project does not cure a defective title or unapproved building extension.
这些层次彼此关联。一张可以合法转让的地契，仍可能无法支持生产；一座条件很好的厂房，仍可能无法转让给拟议买方；获批制造项目，也不能修复有问题的地契或未经批准的扩建。
1. Decide the buyer entity before negotiating the property 谈物业以前，先确定买方主体
The first decision is who will buy. Malaysia’s Companies Commission states that an overseas company can conduct business through two broad routes: as a shareholder of a locally incorporated company, or as a foreign company registered under section 562 of the Companies Act 2016. Registration does not replace sector licences, permits or approvals. (SSM foreign-company registration guideline)
第一项决定是“谁来买”。马来西亚公司委员会说明，海外公司可通过两种主要方式在马来西亚经营：成为一家本地注册公司的股东，或根据《2016年公司法》第562条登记为外国公司。完成登记后，企业仍须取得适用的执照、许可及批准。(SSM外国公司注册指南)
For an industrial acquisition, the legal, tax, financing and operating teams should compare the options before an offer is issued.
在发出报价前，法律、税务、融资及营运团队应比较不同架构。
Do not sign the offer in the parent company’s name and assume it can later be changed to a new Malaysian subsidiary without consequence. Nomination, assignment, stamp duty, seller consent, financing and approval applications should be considered at the start.
不要先用中国母公司签署报价，再假设以后一定能无成本地改成新成立的马来西亚子公司。提名、转让、印花税、卖方同意、融资及审批申请，都应从一开始规划。
2. State Authority consent is a transaction gate, not an administrative formality 州政府同意是交易关卡，不是普通行政手续
Land is a state matter. JKPTG’s current public guidance says a non-Malaysian citizen or foreign company requires State Authority approval to receive a transfer. The federal land department also published Circular No. 6/2024 specifically addressing restrictions on acquisitions by non-citizens and foreign companies. (JKPTG Circular No. 6/2024)
土地属于州政府管辖范围。JKPTG现行公开指南说明，非马来西亚公民或外国公司接受土地转让，必须取得州政府批准。联邦土地部门也发布了2024年第6号通告，专门处理非公民及外国公司收购土地的限制。(JKPTG 2024年第6号通告)
The exact policy, minimum value, levy, permitted property category, buyer criteria, documents and processing route may differ by state and may change. Some rules distinguish:
最低价格、征费、允许物业类别、买方条件、文件及审批程序可能因州而异，也会更新。规则可能区分：
- industrial land from commercial or agricultural land;工业、商业及农业土地；- direct factory use from investment or passive leasing;自用工厂与投资出租；
- a Malaysian manufacturing company with foreign ownership from a foreign company registered in Malaysia;外资持股的马来西亚制造公司与登记外国公司；
- developer sales from secondary-market purchases;向发展商购买与二手市场交易；
- individual titles from master-title or strata interests; and独立地契、总地契与分层权益；以及
- Peninsular Malaysia from Sabah and Sarawak.马来半岛、沙巴和砂拉越。
Do not apply a residential foreign-buyer threshold to industrial property. Do not rely on an old comparison chart. Do not assume a price above RM1 million automatically makes every industrial acquisition permissible. Obtain written, transaction-specific advice from a Malaysian conveyancing lawyer and confirm the current requirements with the relevant state land office.
不要把住宅外国买家门槛套在工业地产上；不要依赖旧的州属对比表；也不要认为价格超过100万令吉就一定能够购买所有工业地产。应由马来西亚产业律师针对具体交易提供书面意见，并向相关州土地局核实最新要求。
The Ministry of Economy’s published foreign-property acquisition guideline identifies certain acquisitions that may be exempt from Ministry approval, including industrial land acquired by a manufacturing company. That is not the same as a blanket exemption from State Authority consent, title restrictions, state policy or operating approvals. (Ministry of Economy guideline)
经济部公布的外国利益收购产业指南列出部分可能豁免经济部批准的情况，包括制造公司收购工业土地。但这不等于豁免州政府同意、地契限制、州政策或营运批准。(马来西亚经济部指南)
3. Screen prohibited and restricted land before paying a serious deposit 支付大额订金前，先排除禁购与受限土地
A property may be commercially attractive but unavailable to the proposed foreign buyer. The lawyer should screen at least:
物业可能很有吸引力，但未必能转让给拟议外资买方。律师至少应检查：
- Malay Reserve status or other protected tenure;马来保留地或其他受保护土地；- Bumiputera allocation or conditions imposed by a development approval;土著单位或发展批准附带的土著条件；
- agricultural category where conversion is needed;需要转换用途的农业地；
- restrictions in interest requiring consent;地契上的利益限制；
- leasehold expiry and extension risk;租赁地剩余年期及续期风险；
- caveats, charges, leases or court orders;私人禁令、抵押、租约及法院命令；
- master-title, strata or subdivision complications;总地契、分层或分割问题；
- acquisition by public auction, if the state applies special restrictions;州政策对拍卖收购的特别限制；
- minimum-value and permitted-use rules; and最低价格及允许用途；以及
- conditions tied to incentives, industrial parks or government-alienated land.工业园区、政府批地或投资优惠附带的条件。
Request a current official land search, not only a photocopy of an old title. Match the registered lot, area and proprietor to the actual site, fencing, access roads and buildings. A factory compound may occupy several titles, include rented land, cross a utility reserve or use an access route that is not legally secured.
必须取得最新正式土地查册，不能只看旧地契复印件。把注册地段、面积及业主与现场围界、道路及建筑逐一核对。有些厂区跨越多张地契、占用租赁土地、穿越公用设施保留地，或依赖没有法定保障的通道。
4. “Industrial land” does not approve every industrial activity4. “工业地”不代表所有工业活动都已获准The title category and express condition are only the beginning. The buyer must match the proposed operation against:
地契类别与明文条件只是第一层。买方还须把生产活动与以下资料匹配：
- local-plan zoning and permitted activity;地方规划分区及允许活动；
- planning permission and development order;规划许可及发展令；
- approved building use and plans;建筑核准用途与图则；
- Certificate of Completion and Compliance or earlier CF/CFO;CCC或早期CF／CFO；
- fire and life-safety requirements;消防及生命安全要求；
- environmental notifications, approvals and controls;环保通知、批准与控制；
- utilities and infrastructure capacity;公用设施与基础设施容量；
- sector-specific licences; and行业执照；以及
- operating conditions imposed by the industrial park or landlord.工业园或业主施加的营运条件。
Compare approved plans with the building on site. Check mezzanines, canopies, extensions, partitions, warehouses, utility rooms, guardhouses, chemical stores and detached structures. An unapproved extension may affect financing, insurance, fire access, authority submissions and future resale.
把核准图与现场建筑比较，包括夹层、雨棚、扩建、隔墙、仓库、公用设施房、警卫室、化学品仓和独立建筑。未经批准的工程可能影响融资、保险、消防通道、政府申请及未来转售。
The intended process matters. Electronics assembly, food processing, metal treatment, chemicals, battery production, data centres and ordinary warehousing do not impose the same demands on power, water, effluent, emissions, hazardous materials, fire separation or vehicle movement.
具体工艺也很重要。电子组装、食品加工、金属表面处理、化工、电池生产、数据中心与普通仓储，对电力、水、废水、排放、危险物、消防分隔及车辆活动的要求完全不同。
5. Manufacturing approval and property approval are separate 制造批准与物业批准属于不同路径
MIDA’s manufacturing-licence guideline states that a person engaging in manufacturing with shareholders’ funds of RM2.5 million or more, or 75 or more full-time paid employees, must apply for a Manufacturing Licence. A company below both thresholds may seek an exemption confirmation, subject to the applicable rules. (MIDA Manufacturing Licence guideline)MIDA制造执照指南说明，从事制造活动的企业若股东资金达到250万令吉或以上，或拥有75名或以上全职受薪员工，必须申请制造执照。若两项都低于门槛，可按适用规则申请豁免确认。(MIDA制造执照指南)
This corporate and operational pathway should be coordinated with the property acquisition, but one approval does not substitute for the other.
企业营运批准与物业收购应同步规划，但两者不能互相取代。
MIDA’s published CKD Malaysia case provides a useful real example: the acquisition of an approximately 87,400-square-metre site and building in Kulim was described as having received state-authority approval, while a manufacturing licence was granted through MIDA. The approvals were related to the same investment, but remained distinct. (MIDA CKD plant acquisition)
MIDA公布的CKD Malaysia案例很有参考价值：该公司在居林收购约87,400平方米土地及建筑时，产业收购获得州政府批准，制造执照则由MIDA批准。两项批准服务同一投资项目，但仍然是不同程序。(MIDA CKD厂房收购案例)
For a China-based manufacturer, prepare one bilingual project brief that both the property and approval teams can use:
中国制造企业应准备一份统一的中英文项目需求书，让物业及审批团队使用同一套资料：
- Malaysian buyer and ownership structure;马来西亚买方及股权架构；
- products and detailed process flow;产品及详细工艺流程；
- investment, machinery and staffing;投资、机器和员工人数；
- target production date and expansion phases;投产日期及扩建阶段；
- required land and building area;土地与建筑面积；
- power, water, gas, fibre, cooling and wastewater needs; 电力、水、气体、光纤、冷却及废水需求；
- cleanroom, floor loading and clear-height requirements;洁净室、地面承重和净高
- chemicals, emissions, scheduled waste and fire risks;化学品、排放、定期废料及消防风险；
- container and employee movements; and货柜与员工活动；以及
- import, export, LMW or free-zone requirements where relevant.适用的进口、出口、LMW或自由区需求。
6. Verify the property before valuing it as a working factory 按照证据评估厂房价值
The acquisition price should reflect evidence—not the seller’s description. Conduct legal, technical, environmental, tax and commercial due diligence in parallel.
价格应反映证据，而不是卖方描述。法律、技术、环保、税务及商业尽调应同步进行。
For existing factories, commission a Phase I-style environmental review proportionate to the risk. Historical plating, chemical, oil, waste or heavy-manufacturing activities can create soil, groundwater, tank, drainage or scheduled-waste exposure that is not visible during a normal viewing.
对于现有厂房，应按风险进行第一阶段式环境调查。过去的电镀、化工、油品、废物或重工业活动，可能造成土壤、地下水、地下罐、排水或定期废料风险，普通看厂未必能发现。
7. Calculate the acquisition cost beyond the headline price 计算成交价以外的总收购成本
The project budget may include:
项目预算还可能包括：
- purchase price and deposit;购买价格及订金；- State Authority consent application, levy or premium where applicable;州政府同意申请费、征费或溢价；- stamp duty on the transfer instrument;转让文件印花税；- legal fees and disbursements;律师费及代垫费用；- valuation, survey and technical consultants;估值、测量及技术顾问费；- financing fees and security documentation;融资费用及抵押文件；- title conversion, subdivision or lease-extension premium;土地转换、分割或续租溢价；- rectification of unapproved works;未批准工程整改；- fire, environmental and utility upgrades;消防、环保及公用设施升级；- fit-out and production commissioning; and装修与生产线投产；以及- tax implications of the chosen buyer and transaction structure.买方及交易架构的税务影响。
LHDN’s current stamp-duty guideline sets out different transfer-duty treatments, including specific provisions involving foreign companies and non-citizen buyers. The applicable classification and rate should be confirmed for the actual purchaser and instrument rather than estimated from a generic online calculator. (LHDN stamp-duty guideline)
LHDN现行印花税指南列出不同物业转让处理，包括外国公司及非公民买方的特定规定。适用分类与税率应按真实买方及文件确认，不能只用网上通用计算器估算。(LHDN印花税指南)
The seller’s Real Property Gains Tax is a separate issue, although the buyer has statutory filing and retention responsibilities in applicable transactions. Confirm the current procedure with the transaction lawyer and tax adviser. (LHDN RPGT overview)
卖方的房地产盈利税是另一项税务，但买方在适用交易中也有法定申报及扣留责任。应由交易律师与税务顾问确认最新程序。(LHDN房地产盈利税说明)
8. Make the SPA conditional on the approvals that matter 把关键审批写成买卖协议的先决条件
If State Authority consent is required, the SPA should not treat it as an afterthought. The Malaysian lawyer should tailor the agreement to the deal, including:
如果交易需要州政府批准，买卖协议不能把它当作普通后续手续。马来西亚律师应按交易设计：
- exact purchaser and permitted nomination or assignment;准确买方及允许的提名或转让；- deposit stakeholder arrangements;订金保管机制；
- satisfactory title, legal, technical and environmental due diligence;令人满意的产权、法律、技术及环保尽调；
- State Authority and restriction-in-interest consent;州政府及地契利益限制同意；
- financing approval and drawdown conditions where negotiated;如经协商的融资批准与放款条件；
- manufacturing, planning or other project approvals if essential to the acquisition decision;对收购决定至关重要的制造、规划或项目批准；
- seller’s duty to provide plans, records and signatures;卖方提供图纸、记录及签署申请的义务；
- vacant possession and removal of occupiers or assets;空置交付及清走占用者或资产；
- rectification or pricing treatment for defects and unapproved works;缺陷及未批准工程的整改或价格处理；
- allocation of consent premium, levy, tax, duty and professional costs;同意溢价、征费、税、印花税及专业费分配；
- long-stop date and extension mechanism;最终完成期限及延长机制；
- refund and termination rights if a condition fails; and条件失败时退款及终止权；以及
- representations that survive completion.交割后仍有效的保证与陈述。
Avoid an unconditional “as is, where is” commitment before the buyer knows whether it can own and operate the property. A low price is not a saving if the transfer cannot be registered or the intended factory cannot start.
不要在买方尚未确认能否持有及营运物业前，签署无条件“按现状”交易。若产权不能过户或工厂无法投产，再低的价格也不是节省。
What a China-based buyer should send XPillar中国买方应向XPillar提交什么？
To begin an evidence-based property search, send a bilingual requirement containing:
为了进行有证据支持的物业筛选，请提交中英文需求，包括：
- proposed Malaysian buyer structure and shareholder nationality;拟议马来西亚买方架构及股东国籍；
- product and manufacturing process;产品及生产工艺；- target state, city or industrial corridor;目标州属、城市或工业走廊；
- land and built-up area;土地与建筑面积；
- buy-versus-lease preference and budget;购买或租赁偏好及预算；
- freehold or leasehold requirements;永久地契或租赁地要求；
- electricity, water, gas, fibre and wastewater needs;电力、水、气体、光纤及废水需求；
- floor loading, clear height, cranes and cleanroom needs;地面承重、净高、吊车及洁净室需求；
- container frequency, port or airport preference and workforce access;货柜频率、港口或机场偏好及员工交通；
- environmental or hazardous-material profile;环保或危险物情况；
- target handover, trial-production and full-operation dates; and交付、试产及正式投产日期；以及
- expansion plan for the next five to ten years.未来五至十年扩建计划。
Xpillar can use this requirement to identify industrial properties, organise available property evidence and coordinate viewings. The buyer should appoint Malaysian legal, tax, corporate, planning, engineering and environmental advisers to verify formal eligibility and approvals.
Xpillar可根据这些条件筛选工业物业、整理现有物业证据并安排看厂。买方仍应委任马来西亚法律、税务、公司、规划、工程及环保顾问，正式确认资格与批准。
Frequently Asked Questions 常见问题
1. Can a 100% foreign-owned Malaysian company buy industrial land?
100%外资持股的马来西亚公司可以买工业土地吗？
Potentially, but incorporation alone is not enough. The buyer, title, state, value, use and current foreign-interest policy must be checked, and State Authority consent may be required. Obtain transaction-specific legal confirmation.
原则上可能，但成立公司本身并不足够。必须核实买方、地契、州属、价值、用途及最新外国利益政策，也可能需要州政府同意。应取得针对具体交易的法律意见。
2. Does an industrial title mean a foreign company can buy it?
工业用途地契是否代表外资企业一定可以买？
No. “Industrial” describes a land or planning layer; it does not remove foreign-acquisition restrictions, title conditions, State Authority consent, Bumiputera or reserve restrictions, or operating approvals.
不是。“工业”只是土地或规划其中一层，并不会取消外国利益限制、地契条件、州政府同意、土著或保留地限制，也不能取代营运批准。
3. Is there one minimum purchase price for foreign buyers across Malaysia?
马来西亚是否有统一的外国买家最低价格？
No reliable single figure should be used for all industrial properties. State rules, property categories, permitted uses and buyer types differ and can change. Confirm the current state policy for the specific title.
不应使用一个数字套用所有工业地产。州政策、物业类别、允许用途及买方类型各有不同，也会更新。必须按具体地契核实当前政策。
4. Must the buyer have a Manufacturing Licence before buying?
买方必须先取得制造执照才能购买吗？
It depends on the state rule, buyer and project. The manufacturing-licence pathway and land-acquisition pathway are separate but may affect one another. MIDA states that manufacturers with shareholders’ funds of RM2.5 million or more, or 75 or more full-time paid employees, must apply for a Manufacturing Licence.
取决于州政策、买方和项目。制造执照与土地收购属于不同审批路径，但会互相影响。MIDA说明，股东资金达到250万令吉或拥有75名或以上全职受薪员工的制造企业，必须申请制造执照。
5. Can a foreign buyer acquire Malay Reserve Land or a Bumiputera lot?
外资可以买马来保留地或土著单位吗？
Do not assume so. Protected or allocated land is generally subject to strict restrictions. The title and development conditions must be reviewed by a Malaysian lawyer and confirmed with the relevant authority.
不要这样假设。受保护或已分配土地通常有严格限制。应由马来西亚律师审查地契与发展条件，并向相关政府部门确认。
6. Can the SPA be signed before State Authority consent?
可以在州政府批准前先签买卖协议吗？
Often an SPA is signed subject to the necessary consent, but the structure, deposit, conditions, long-stop date and termination rights must be professionally drafted. Do not use a generic SPA for a consent-dependent industrial acquisition.
很多交易会先签署以取得同意为先决条件的买卖协议，但买方、订金、条件、最终期限及终止权必须由专业律师设计。需要政府同意的工业地产交易，不应使用普通模板。
Final takeaway/ 最后结论A foreign manufacturer can potentially buy a factory or industrial land in Malaysia, but the safest transaction starts with the operating project and buyer structure—not the property brochure.
外资制造企业原则上可以在马来西亚购买厂房或工业土地，但最安全的交易应从营运项目与买方架构开始，而不是从房源广告开始。
Before signing, align six items: the legal buyer, state foreign-acquisition rules, registered title, approved building, operating approvals and conditional transaction timetable. When these six layers are supported by evidence, the buyer can price the property, approval risk and start-up programme more accurately.
签约前必须对齐六层：法律买方、州属外资收购规则、注册地契、核准建筑、营运批准及有条件交易时间表。只有六层都有证据支持，买方才能更准确地评估物业价格、审批风险及投产时间。
Contact Xpillar to submit a Malaysia factory or industrial-land requirement, or to present an industrial property with a complete title, approval, building and utility information pack.
欢迎联系Xpillar，提交马来西亚厂房或工业土地需求；地主及业主也可提交包含完整地契、审批、建筑及公用设施资料的工业物业。