The Rise of Malaysia

ICT and semiconductor industry's growing interest in Malaysia.

The US-China trade war has resulted in many companies seeking non-Chinese production sites as alternatives.

Malaysia is receiving increased interest from the ICT and semiconductor industries and emerging as a viable destination for production relocation.

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IN THE NEWS

Friday 18 July 2025

Malaysia’s chip hub grows but local players struggle to take control

Malaysia's Penang state has served as a Southeast Asian technology hub for over five decades, hosting semiconductor operations since Intel established its presence in 1971. AMD, Renesas...

Friday 18 July 2025

Malaysia's road from foreign capital to homegrown innovation

Malaysia's semiconductor industry traces back to the 1970s. In August 1972, Malaysia's first free trade zone, the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone (Bayan Lepas FIZ), was launched...

Thursday 17 July 2025

Malaysia’s states compete to lead national push in IC design

Malaysia is ramping up efforts to grow its domestic integrated circuit (IC) design industry, as key states such as Selangor, Sarawak,...

Wednesday 16 July 2025

As Huawei Ascend courts the Middle East and Southeast Asia, Washington raises red flags

In early July, the US Department of Commerce issued a stark warning: using Huawei's Ascend AI chips "anywhere in the world" could be considered a violation of US export controls....

Wednesday 16 July 2025

Asian nations face new US tariffs; Taiwan's auto parts makers eye reshored demand

New tariff rates from the US government are set to take effect in August, impacting a range of countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Malaysia, all...

Wednesday 16 July 2025

Penang's OSAT boom: ASE, Tongfu, Inari lead charge in advanced packaging

Malaysia has steadily developed its outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing (OSAT) industry, with Penang — often called the "Silicon Valley of the East" — at its...

Wednesday 16 July 2025

Malaysia's swift crackdown on AI chip exports aims to safeguard data center boom

The Malaysian Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) has announced that exports, transshipments, and transit of US-origin artificial intelligence (AI) chips will now require...

Tuesday 15 July 2025

Malaysia requires export permits for Nvidia AI chips to block China trans‑shipments

Malaysia has imposed new export restrictions on high-end artificial intelligence (AI) chips, including those from Nvidia, to curb potential rerouting to China. Effective immediately,...

Tuesday 15 July 2025

Trump rekindles history as allies scramble in trade turmoil

The Trump administration is exploiting uncertainty and escalating tariff threats as its new strategy to force countries to comply with US demands. Starting on August 1, the US will...

Saturday 12 July 2025

Malaysia semiconductor sector squeezed as SuperSiC project highlights deepening China ties

Malaysia's role as a key node in the global semiconductor supply chain is drawing sharper scrutiny as it deepens industrial ties with China while facing mounting trade and export...

Friday 11 July 2025

US weighs new export controls on AI chips to Thailand and Malaysia

The US Department of Commerce is reportedly preparing new regulations that would restrict the export of advanced AI chips to Thailand...

Friday 11 July 2025

Malaysia's Penang eyes semiconductor upgrade as AI demand reshapes industry

Malaysia's Penang state, home to about 13% of global semiconductor assembly and testing capacity, is positioning itself to capture more advanced chip manufacturing as artificial intelligence...

Wednesday 9 July 2025

US tariff pressure puts Taiwan's industrial resilience to test

Is US President Donald Trump's "reciprocal tariffs" policy a serious threat or merely a high-stakes bluff? Taiwan finds itself excluded from the initial list of targeted economies,...

Wednesday 9 July 2025

What Trump’s ‘tariff fines’ mean for Asia

US President Donald Trump has officially issued the latest round of tariff notices, targeting 14 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, South Africa,...

Wednesday 9 July 2025

Server component makers optimistic for 2H25 with rising GB200 shipments

With volume production of server chassis for Nvidia's GB200 turning stable, the operation of suppliers for related components such as cooling modules, sliding rails, and battery backup...

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