5 days ago
Anwar urges semiconductor industry: Products must be made by Malaysians
Semiconductors produced in Malaysia must be made by Malaysians, and national companies should lead among Fortune 500 tech firms, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said that while investors are welcome, Malaysia will be strategic by choosing partners who strengthen supply chains, transfer knowledge, and deliver real value to Malaysians.
Anwar made these remarks during his closing speech at the Asean Semiconductor Summit 2025 on Thursday (July 24).
He highlighted that the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), launched in May 2024, has been successful, securing over RM63bil in investments, with RM5bil from domestic and RM58bil from foreign sources.
"Our mindset must shift from 'Made in Malaysia' to 'Made by Malaysians'. Our established semiconductor ecosystem is well-poised to move beyond an FDI-first model and focus on building home-grown champions.
"We want long-term collaborators who grow with us. The target now is to deliver the 10+100. This means building 10 Malaysian semiconductor companies with revenues between RM1bil and RM4.7bil, and nurturing at least 100 more to approach the RM1bil mark.
"These companies will export Malaysian products globally and bring our knowledge, value creation, and talent into Asean and global markets. They will be our flag bearers abroad, rooted at home," said Anwar.
He said that more than 60,000 engineers will be trained through a collaboration between the Collaborative Research in Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST) under the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) and HRD-Corp under the Human Resource Ministry, with RM1.2bil allocated over five years.
Anwar then urged Asean countries to work as a community rather than as single nations to address the shortage of skilled workers in the semiconductor industry.
"As of March 2025, we have secured more than RM63bil in investments, with RM5bil from domestic and RM58bil from foreign sources. Regarding the growth of 10 semiconductor companies with revenue over USD1bil and 100 with less than RM1bil, I am proud to share that Malaysia now has at least 13 home-grown companies emerging as potential national champions.
"Less than fifty years from now, we want Malaysia to look back at this moment as the tipping point when the country began grooming its Fortune 500 tech companies," said Anwar.
Malaysia is currently the world's sixth-largest exporter of semiconductors.
At the same event, MITI Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz stated that "Made by Malaysia" is a vision requiring a whole-of-nation effort.
"Every RM1 spent generates over RM2 in direct output across the economy—through supply chains, supporting sectors, and household incomes. Last year, the industry generated RM4.9tril in economic output, underscoring its role as a national multiplier," said Tengku Zafrul.
He also said that Asean countries must move beyond fragmented efforts and instead embrace a collective "race to the top", leveraging each nation's unique strengths.
