[KUALA LUMPUR] China’s Rianlon, a global supplier of anti-ageing additives for polymers and cosmetics, has pledged to invest RM820 million (S$249.3 million) to build a manufacturing and research facility in Tanjung Langsat, Johor.
Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Zafrul Aziz said in a post on X that the project is expected to generate more than 300 skilled jobs while bringing advanced technology into the country.
He added that the investment aligns with Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030. “This is a step forward in strengthening Malaysia’s speciality chemical ecosystem and elevating our country to a higher value chain.”
The Malaysian facility will be Rianlon’s first overseas manufacturing base. The company signalled its intent to expand abroad earlier this year and in March established a Singapore subsidiary to oversee its Malaysia investment.
The facility will be located at the Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex in Pasir Gudang, Johor. Tanjung Langsat is a major industrial hub in the state and is also one of the flagship zones within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.
Headquartered in Tianjin, Rianlon has a market value of 8.3 billion yuan (S$1.5 billion) as at Tuesday (Sep 2).
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It is a global player in the chemical manufacturing industry, specialising in anti-ageing additives and application technologies such as antioxidants and light stabilisers.
Rianlon competes with multinationals including BASF, Songwon and Clariant, with strong market presence in Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe.
Based on its latest financial statement, more than 80 per cent of Rianlon’s 2024 revenue came from polymer material antioxidant additives, while overseas sales contributed more than 41.5 per cent of the total.
The deal is among the outcomes of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent four-day working visit to China. During the trip, Anwar also held talks with senior executives of China Communications Construction Company, the main contractor for Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link (ECRL).
The 665-km ECRL project is designed to connect Malaysia’s east coast states (Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang) to the Klang Valley on the west coast, facilitating both passenger and freight movement.
Anwar is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday evening. This will be their fourth in-person meeting, following their last encounter in Putrajaya during Xi’s state visit to Malaysia in April.
Anwar, who is hosting the 2025 Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, stated that both Xi and US President Donald Trump are among the four leaders expected to attend. However, recent reports suggest Xi may not attend, fuelling market speculation about escalating trade tensions between the US and China.
