The prime minister said Dyson had already invested in Malaysia with his facilities located in Johor and hired a large number of engineers.

“If he (Dyson) continues his investment in Malaysia, we can reduce the number of unemployed who have studied up to PhD level,” Mahathir said after visiting Imperial College London on Monday.

At the prestigious science-based university, Mahathir met Dyson who showed an interest in bringing new investments into Malaysia.

The prime minister said the government would amend “restrictive” policies so that Dyson would be more keen to invest in Malaysia.

“We will persuade him (to continue investing),” he said.

On his visit to Imperial College London, Mahathir said he was attracted to the automotive field that the university was working on to improve the efficiency of the engine and its efforts in the development of electric vehicles.