KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 ― Malaysia posted a net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow of RM47.2 billion in 2016 against RM39.4 billion in 2015, coming mostly from Asia, said the Department of Statistics Department.

Malaysia's FDI covers the investment by foreign companies which hold more than 10 per cent equity in Malaysia's companies.

In a statement today, the department said Asia as the main source of FDI inflows, accounted for 74.6 per cent or RM35.2 billion.

 "After Asia, it was Europe (14.1 per cent). Hong Kong, Singapore and China were the top three countries from Asia,” it added

The department also revealed that the FDI position registered RM546.6 billion and the better numbers was supported by higher net inflow in equity and investment fund shares.

In 2016, 50.9 per cent of the FDI inflow was channelled to the services sector, mainly in the utilities sub-sector and financial and insurance/ takaful activities.

Meanwhile, manufacturing and mining and quarrying sectors constituted 43.3 per cent to the total FDI flows. ― Bernama