Malaysia aims to develop domestic semiconductor design capabilities: official

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) — Malaysia aims to expand its domestic semiconductor design capabilities as it seeks to develop the sector and reduce its foreign dependence, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said on Tuesday.
This is in line with the government’s strategic direction to enhance the entire semiconductor ecosystem, covering both upstream and downstream sectors, particularly emphasizing original design manufacturers (ODM), he said at the launch of the Malaysia Semiconductor IC Design Park in Selangor state.
“The interest in data centers will continuously drive the demand for semiconductors, and this presents opportunities because there is demand for chips,” he said.
“As this ecosystem takes place, data centers in Malaysia will begin to consider locally designed and manufactured chips. That is the consideration the government is looking for,” he said, adding that the launch of the design park will create conditions to multiply the number of design companies.
For his part, Selangor Chief Minister Amirudin Shari said the design park has the capacity to house more than 400 design engineers and has already been taken up by eight local and international firms. It will help spur the country’s move towards high-tech manufacturing, he noted.
“The primary goal of the park is to promote original design manufacturing, encouraging local involvement in product design, prototyping, and production … it is about creating opportunities and driving growth,” he said.
“These microchips aren’t solely used in our mobile phones. There will soon be thousands of these chips in each vehicle, especially new automotive products using high-end advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and operating using electric power instead of fossil fuels,” he added. ■