KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 ― The government is committed to spurring business interests in the country as it gains from their profits, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In his keynote speech at the launch of the "Industry4WRD: National Policy on Industry 4.0” event today, Dr Mahathir assured investors that his administration was motivated to form policies conducive towards healthy trade.

"The success of your business is our business. Why? Slightly selfish perhaps, but as of today, the government has a 26 per cent stake in every cent of profit that you make,” he said in reference to the corporate tax rate.

"Therefore it is our business to ensure that you do not fail in yours,’’ he said.

Speaking to some 1,000 attendees comprising representatives of manufacturing giants, industry captains, and members of the diplomatic corp at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Miti) Tower here, Dr Mahathir said Industry4WRD policies will propel manufacturing through new technologies, processes and talent pools.

Dr Mahathir said in the last five years, the manufacturing sector has been contributing about 23 per cent to the country's Gross Domestic Product while about 98.5 per cent of Malaysian small and medium enterprises are in the manufacturing sector.

Dr Mahathir said Industry4WRD is a pivotal step as Malaysia seeks to strengthen its ongoing structural reforms to become a developed nation that is equitable, sustainable and inclusive by 2025.

He insisted that all sectors must work harder to help the country to reach a developed nation status as what was envisioned in Vision 2020.

"When Vision 2020 was introduced, it set out the challenges that Malaysia needed to overcome, to reach a developed nation status within our own time frame.

He added that these challenges calls for Malaysia to be innovative and forward-looking to build an economy that is competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient.