I chaired the Malaysia Steel Council (MSC) meeting on behalf of Minister Tengku Zafrul.
This is the first MSC meeting to convene after the submission of the Independent Steel Committee’s (ISC) final report to MITI. Both the Malaysian Iron and Steel Industry Federation (MISIF) and the Malaysia Steel Association (MSA) expressed their appreciation and agreement with the findings and recommendations outlined in the report, including the proposed reform of the Malaysia Steel Institute.
Building on the ISC’s recommendations, MITI will be launching a roadmap for the iron and steel industry and concurrently work on the implementation of key proposals from the report. This includes collaboration with the Ministry of Finance on the introduction of carbon tax for the iron and steel sector in 2026, as announced in Budget 2025.
The meeting was also attended by officers from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), who briefed council members on recent enforcement actions, namely Op Padu 1.0, Op Padu 2.0, and Ops Metal that clamped down on substandard steel products and scrap metal smuggling.
We look forward to continued progress to ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of Malaysia’s iron and steel industry.
Also present at the meeting were Datuk Hanafi Sakri, Deputy Secretary General (Industry), MITI; Mr. Roshan M. Abdullah, President of MISIF; Dato’ Sri Tai Hean Leng, Deputy President of MSA; and Dato’ Omar Siddiq, Chairman of the ISC and CEO of HSBC Malaysia.