Selangor to Develop Semiconductor Industrial Area, Attract More Investors

KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor is currently drafting a plan to develop a semiconductor industrial area to attract more investment, thereby stimulating the state’s economic growth and creating more skilled workers.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said this includes the development of a semiconductor park currently under research by the Selangor State Government.

“The park will be developed in a new area. We are identifying its needs to meet the requirements of the semiconductor industry,” he told reporters at a luncheon event during the SEMICON Southeast Asia 2024 event here today.

Further elaborating, Amirudin said the semiconductor sector has been rooted in Selangor since the 1970s, and efforts to develop the ecosystem have been intensified since last year to capitalize on the high demand for related products.

Moreover, among the players established in Selangor for decades are American companies like Texas Instruments Malaysia Sdn Bhd and NXP Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

“The semiconductor sector involves significant investments and focuses on several locations such as Kulim Hi-Tech Park (Kedah), Sarawak, Penang, and Singapore.

“Aligned with the widespread interest in artificial intelligence (AI), I believe it has a vast market alongside the relocation of Chinese companies seeking sites outside due to trade issues,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Amirudin said Selangor’s involvement in integrated circuit (IC) design aims to elevate Malaysia’s position in the value chain from just a player to a strategic player in a broader ecosystem.

“This initiative aims to train more than 300 engineers, and we have also received interest from major operators. However, there are still other golden opportunities for cooperation that we can create,” he said.

Currently, there are six new industrial parks involving an area of ​​1,214 hectares being developed in Selangor according to the latest guidelines of the Selangor Managed Industrial Park (MIP).

The MIP guidelines stipulate that new industrial parks are developed with advanced technology features such as specialized industrial park managers, addressing current needs for international industrial parks while emphasizing environmental, social, and governance standards suitable for the semiconductor industry.