Malaysia, Kedah, 24 January 2024 – AT&S Austria Technologie & Systemtechnik (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. is pleased to announce the opening of its new Integrated Circuit (IC) Substrates manufacturing facility in Kulim Hi-Technology Park, Kedah. Representing a groundbreaking chapter in AT&S’s history, this facility stands as a large financial commitment and marks its inaugural production plant in Southeast Asia. So far, the global technology leader invested just over EUR 1 billion in their AT&S Campus in the Kulim HighTech Park. This substantial investment is poised to reshape the economic landscape of Malaysia, generating over 6,000 high-skilled job opportunities.

The ceremony was jointly officiated by YB Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI); and YB. Dr. Haim Hilman Bin Abdullah, Exco Industry and Investment, Higher Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation.

YB Liew Chin Tong, the Deputy Minister of MITI highlighted, “The semiconductor industry is of tremendous economic and strategic importance to Malaysia, especially in the current geopolitical environment. Holding 7% of global market share in the industry, Malaysia is the world’s sixth largest semiconductor exporter.

As a strategic industry, the semiconductor industry deserves to be at the forefront of MITI’s policy-making priorities. The New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) is a start. Its first mission on advancing economic complexity by moving up the value chain to revitalise our manufacturing sector, is exactly what the semiconductor industry needs. Additionally, by integrating the value chains of semiconductor and other high value-added industries such as automotive and medical, Malaysia will be able to create a more holistic supply chain locally.

To make NIMP 2030’s goals for the semiconductor industry a reality, the Malaysian Government through MITI will take the lead by providing suitable incentives to strengthen the manufacturing and design capabilities of semiconductor companies in order to better linkages between SMEs and MNCs as well facilitating the commercialisation of R&D activities. As such, the recent National Investment Council meeting has decided to establish the National Semiconductor Strategic Task Force to ensure a whole-of-government approach to enhancing the growth of the industry.”

Datuk Wira Arham Abdul Rahman, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), emphasised, “AT&S’s advanced Integrated Circuit (IC) Substrates manufacturing activity will certainly expand our E&E industry solidifying Malaysia’s position as a major production centre for the industry throughout Asia. It will also be a catalyst for existing wafer fabrication plants to expand, securing IC substrate materials and opening up new growth areas that will ultimately generate employment. Managing a complex facility of this nature necessitates a diverse set of skills, especially in high-technology segments. The young Malaysians joining this groundbreaking project are not just entering a job; they are being presented with a unique opportunity to contribute to a rapidly advancing field. I am hopeful that AT&S’s growth here will be nothing but beneficial for our local industry and rakyat.”

Mr. Andreas Gerstenmayer, CEO of AT&S, assured, “This step marks a true milestone for AT&S. With our new state-of-the-art factory for IC substrates, we are able to establish a completely new technology sector in Malaysia, one of the future global microelectronics hotspots. We will not only manufacture high-end IC substrates for high-performance processors at our new facility, but also conduct R&D activities at this location. This creates a win-win situation for both, AT&S as well as the Malaysian society as an investment in R&D is an investment in the future of a country.”

“With the AT&S investment in Malaysia, we are creating thousands of high-tech jobs in the region, till end of this year almost 2500. This will help to set-up the framework for future growth in Malaysia”, says AT&S Board Member and Executive Vice President for BU Microelectronics, Ingolf Schroeder.  “We see it as our natural responsibility as an international company, to truly live our social commitment and our positioning as an inclusive, diverse and responsible employer at any new location.”

The Kulim operations, set to launch in Q42024, will specialise integrated circuit (IC) substrates, facilitating connections between silicon dies and printed circuit boards (PCBs). Characterised by multiple layers connected by dense conductor paths, IC substrates surpass the density of conventional PCBs. This advanced technology is increasingly favoured for high-end applications such as edge computing in cloud services, data centres, server farms, and various health and consumer devices, aligning with the trend of continuous miniaturisation in the industry.

MIDA and AT&S had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on long-term research and development partnerships and upskilling programmes with Malaysian universities, training and research institutions. This collaborative effort aims to create highly skilled and high-value-added employment opportunities, aligning with the shared vision of elevating Malaysia’s workforce capabilities. Focused on nurturing talent competence, especially in high end printed circuit boards (PCB) and IC substrates, the MOU signifies a strategic alliance between the two organisations.

The electrical and electronics (E&E) industry assumes a pivotal role in Malaysia’s economy, undergoing a swift transformation towards high-tech, knowledge-intensive and higher-value activities. For the period of January – September of 2023, Malaysia’s E&E industry recorded RM57.4 billion in approved investments with foreign investment making up nearly 98 per cent or RM56.3 billion.

**The End**

About MIDA
MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 21 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube channel.

About AT&S
AT&S is a leading manufacturer of high-end printed circuit boards and IC substrates. AT&S industrialises leading-edge technologies for its core business segments Mobile Devices & Substrates, Automotive, Industrial and Medical. AT&S has a global presence with production sites in Austria (Leoben, Fehring) and plants in India (Nanjangud), China (Shanghai, Chongqing) and Korea (Ansan near Seoul). The company employs roughly 14,000 people. For further information please visit www.ats.net.

For more information, please contact:

MIDA
Ms. Noor Suziyanti Saad
Director, E&E Division, MIDA
+603-2267 3575| [email protected]

AT&S
Ms. Ruth Foo
Senior Corporate Affairs & Communications Manager
+6012 8922883 | [email protected]

AT&S Inaugurates Southeast Asia’s First IC Substrates ManufacturingPlant Valued RM8.5 Billion in Kulim, Malaysia

MELAKA, 22 January 2024 – Audemars Microtec;  a global leader in micro-technology and a key supplier of precision micro-components for implantable, interventional and wearable medical devices, proudly marked the Grand Opening of its cutting-edge manufacturing facility in the Angkasa Nuri Industrial Area, Melaka. The milestone celebration was made possible with the invaluable support of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).

The new facility, strategically located in Melaka, is poised to produce high-tech precision components, including micro-coils, micro-magnets and micro-assemblies, catering to the evolving needs of customers while expanding Audemars Microtec’s global presence.

The ceremony was attended by YAB Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf Yusoh, Chief Minister of Melaka; YB Datuk Fairul Nizam Roslan, EXCO of Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Communication; Mr. Sivasuriyamoorthy Sundara Raja, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Investment Promotion and Facilitation) of MIDA; YB Tuan Zahari Abd Khalil, Deputy EXCO for Infrastructure, Public Facilities and Transport; Mr. Ralph A. Stamm, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Switzerland in Malaysia; Dr. Mirko Audemars, Owner and CEO of the Audemars Group; Mr. Brett McMillan, COO of the Audemars Group; as well as other distinguished guests.

The Chief Minister of Melaka, YAB Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf Bin Yusoh emphasised, “Audemars Microtec’s new site in Melaka is testament to the thriving business environment and economic opportunities that our state has to offer.  Melaka is proud to be able to attract such a high-tech company from overseas, which will not only enhance Melaka’s reputation but also contribute to the vibrancy of our business landscape. Melaka has long been known for its rich cultural heritage, historical significance, and warm hospitality. With the inauguration of Audemars Microtec (Malaysia), we are witnessing the fusion of tradition and progress, the harmonious coexistence of our past and the promising future that lies ahead. Melaka is committed to creating an environment that fosters innovation, encourages investment, and ensures the success of businesses that choose Melaka as their home.”

Datuk Wira Arham Abdul Rahman, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MIDA, expressed the strategic importance of this venture, stating, “Audemars Microtec, with its legacy of precision, innovation, and excellence, reinforces Malaysia’s strategic standing as a location for micro-technology. This is the kind of investment that Malaysia aims to attract and anchor: highly sophisticated manufacturing, on the frontiers of technology, and helping to position us at pivotal points of global supply chains. Many of these are skilled jobs which meet the aspirations of Malaysians. Beyond jobs, these investments also enhance the vibrancy of our economy and help us stay relevant to the world. This investment will also bring us closer to achieving our ambition for the manufacturing sector as outlined in the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030. As the leading force behind investment promotion in the country under MITI, MIDA is excited about working hand-in-hand with Audemars Microtec. We look forward to nurturing the growth of their operations in Malaysia.”  

Meanwhile, Dr. Mirko Audemars, owner and CEO of Audemars Microtec remarked, “The opening of our new manufacturing site in Melaka, Malaysia, represents a significant milestone for the Audemars Group, and we are delighted to share this occasion with our valued partners, stakeholders, and the local community. This state-of-the-art production facility may support up to 200 local jobs and has been strategically designed to meet the growing demand for our precision components.”

“We believe that the establishment of the Melaka plant will enhance Audemars’ standing as a globally recognised manufacturer of high-tech precision components. We are excited to be part of Melaka’s growing eco-environment and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. The collaboration with the local workforce and investment in renewable energy sources underscores our dedication to ensuring sustainable development for both Audemars Microtec and the region. Today marks the commencement of a promising journey. We are committed to strengthening our efforts to fulfil the increasing capacity demands and ensuring business continuity that     are vital to our client’s success. We extend our gratitude to everyone who has been part of this venture so far.” he added.

**The End**

About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 21 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.

About Audemars Microtec

Originating in the Swiss watch industry 125 years ago, Audemars has developed into a multi-national group of companies specialized in microtechnology. Audemars is strategically focused on co-development and manufacture of the smallest, precision electro-magnetic micro-components and assemblies that support the smallest, high-tech devices of its global client base. More information about Audemars Microtec’s products can  be found at:

https://www.audemars.com

For more information, please contact:

MIDA

Ms. Noor Suziyanti Saad
Director of Electrical & Electronics Division
T: 03-2267 3575
E: [email protected]

Audemars Microtec (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

Administration Department
Audemars Microtec (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
E: [email protected]

Audemars Microtec Holds Grand Opening Ceremony for Its New State-Of-The-Art Production Facility In Melaka, Malaysia

KEDAH, 15 January 2024 – Ferrotec Holdings Corporation, a global supplier of materials, components, and precision system solutions, today announced the Grand Opening Ceremony to start production of its new manufacturing facility at Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Kedah, facilitated by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). The plant which will be undertaking electromechanical assembly and advanced material fabrication for semiconductor equipment is designed to meet customer needs while also expanding the Group’s business globally.

The ceremony was attended by Dato’ Seri Haji Muhammad Sanusi Bin Md Nor, Kedah Menteri Besar; Ms. Lim Bee Vian, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Investment Development) of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA); Tuan Haji Mohd Zaini Haji Ramli, Kulim District Officer; Dato’ Mohd Sahil Bin Zabidi, Group CEO of KTPC; Mr. He Xian Han, President of Ferrotec Holdings Corporation and Group CEO; Mr. Yamamura Takeru, Vice President of Ferrotec Holdings Corporation and Chief Executive Officer of Ferrotec Manufacturing Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.; Mr. He Anzhi, Managing Director of Ferrotec Manufacturing Malaysia.; as well as other distinguished guests.

The Kedah State Menteri Besar YAB Dato’ Seri Haji Muhammad Sanusi emphasised, “Kedah is an excellent investment destination not only known for tourism, agriculture, but also manufacturing. The State Development Plan 2035 (KEDAH2035) seeks to achieve high-income status for its people through unleashing Kedah’s vast potential, with the private sector playing a pivotal role. Kedah offers a strategic location, skilled workforce, and a supportive environment for companies to flourish. This is evident in our seamless administrative processes and the unprecedented benefits and infrastructures we offer. With the E10 initiative set up to ease investors journey and a strong track record with multinationals already present here, Kedah is no doubt a preferred state for investment.”

Ms. Lim Bee Vian, Deputy CEO (Investment Development), MIDA, commended Ferrotec for their unwavering trust and support in establishing their manufacturing facility in Malaysia. “Ferrotec, with its extensive manufacturing footprint, symbolises the diversification of supply chains, reinforcing Malaysia’s strategic standing as a location for semiconductor operations. By choosing Malaysia, Ferrotec positions itself to leverage untapped opportunities, foster innovation, and contribute substantially to the ever-evolving semiconductor landscape in our region. We will continue to partner with leading companies to anchor high value-added manufacturing, adopt advanced manufacturing technologies and equip our people with the requisite skillsets. Our partnership with Ferrotec is a good example of how we are doing this.”

She further emphasised, “As part of the government’s initiative to elevate the manufacturing sector to greater heights and capitalising on emerging global trends, the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030 has been introduced as the industrial policy. This seven-year plan adopts a mission-based approach to foster industrial development, identifying Mission-Based Projects that leverage Malaysia’s strengths and potential in key industries such as the electrical and electronics (E&E), machinery and equipment (M&E) and chemical.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Takeru Yamamura, Vice President of Ferrotec Holdings Corporation and Chief Executive Officer of Ferrotec Manufacturing Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. remarked, “The opening of our flagship plant in Kedah, Malaysia marks a significant milestone for Ferrotec, and we are delighted to share this moment with our valued partners, customers, and the local community. This state-of-the-art production facility has been strategically designed to meet the growing demand for our products and services in the dynamic Asian market.As Ferrotec’s first manufacturing location in South-East Asia, the Kedah plant integrates the culmination of 44 years of engineering expertise gathered from our operations in the US, EU, China, and Japan. Our commitment to delivering high-purity materials and precision assembly is a testament to the global standards that define Ferrotec.

We believe that the establishment of the Kedah plant will propel Ferrotec to new heights as a globally recognised international supplier in the Semiconductor Industry. Being part of the vibrant eco-environment in Kedah is a privilege, and we are excited about the prospects that lie ahead. The collaboration with the local workforce underscores our dedication to ensuring a sustainable future for both Ferrotec and the region.Today marks the commencement of a promising journey, as Ferrotec is committed to continue driving its effort to fulfill the increasing capacity demands and improved business continuity that are vital to our customers success.We extend our gratitude to everyone who has been part of this endeavor.” he added.

From January to September 2023, the Machinery & Equipment (M&E) industry witnessed substantial investments, amounting to an impressive RM10.8 billion across 63 projects. This included RM9.6 billion from foreign investments and RM1.2 billion from domestic sources. Ferrotec has invested approximately RM850 million in this project creating more than 800 job opportunities, with majority catered towards our local talents.

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About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 21 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.

About Ferrotec

Founded in 1980, on a technology core of Ferrofluid magnetic liquid and Ferrofluidic® sealing products, Ferrotec Holdings Corporation (6890 TSE Standard) is a worldwide leader in the supply of materials, components, and precision system solutions for industrial businesses. Ferrotec is a diversified world-class industrial organization with a global presence in a broad array of technology driven end markets (semiconductors, automotive, biomedical applications, smart phones, LEDs and FPDs). More information about Ferrotec’s products can be found at:

https://www.ferrotec.com/

https://ferrotec.my/

For more information, please contact:

MIDA
Ms. Zakiah Sajidan
Director of Machinery and Metal Technology Division
T: 03-2267 6769
E: [email protected]

Ferrotec Manufacturing
Ms. Tan Ai Leng
Associate Director of Ferrotec Manufacturing Malaysia Sdn Bhd
T: 016-456 8439
E: [email protected]

Ferrotec Holds Grand Opening Ceremony for Its New Factory In Kedah, Malaysia

 Kuala Lumpur, 24 January 2023 – MIDA is set to double efforts to pave the way for foreign investors to make Malaysia its investment hub. This includes investors from Italy, who were recently apprised of future Malaysia-Italy business opportunities and strategic collaborations, particularly in fields such as the chemical industry, green technologies, e-Economy, smart technologies and IR4.0 value chains recently.

YB Senator Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Bin Tengku Abdul Aziz, Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), led a working visit to Italy from 20 – 23 January 2023 to strengthen the business relationship between both countries. As a result, several Italian companies have expressed their interest to invest in Malaysia, given the country’s strategic position as a gateway to ASEAN and the Asia Pacific region. The overall visit has also successfully attracted potential FDIs valued at RM3.25 billion, which are expected to be realised from 2023 onwards.

“In line with the Government’s commitment to being pro-business, pro-investment and pro-trade, MITI and its agencies are ready and prepared to enhance ties with investors that bring in hi-tech and quality investments that will help create better-paying jobs for Malaysians. From the FDI standpoint, our country is already recognised for its strategic location in Southeast Asia, diversified industry ecosystem and qualified talent pool. What is key now is to address all the pain points in the investors’ journey, in an effort to improve the overall ease of doing business in  Malaysia,” said Tengku Zafrul.  

Also part of the Ministerial delegation was Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Datuk Wira Arham Abdul Rahman said, “As a vibrant industrialising and services-oriented nation, Malaysia has geared into the next level of development as our economy becomes more diversified to cater to new growth areas. MIDA continues to welcome high-quality foreign direct investments from around the world, including from Italy. These investments assume an important role in the development of Malaysia due to its multiplier impact on the economy and will continue to do so in the post-pandemic era”.

During the visit, the Minister engaged with several influential business leaders and potential investors through one-on-one business meetings. Italy is Malaysia’s 9^th largest foreign investor from the European Union. As of September 2022, a total of 77 manufacturing projects with Italian participation have been implemented with total investments of USD382 million (RM1.4 billion), creating 4,346 job opportunities.

As one of the countries that has created many world class hi-tech companies globally, Italy is able to offer many latest technologies and digitalisation expertise. Hence, the presence of Italian companies in Malaysia is seen as vital to facilitate the transfer of technology to create more Malaysian knowledge workers. Italy’s emerging green technologies are also critical  to support  Malaysia’s long term strategic objective of attracting investments with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations, in alignment with the country’s New Investment Policy (NIP).

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About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 21 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube channel.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Mr. Faizal Jalaludin
Director, Foreign Investment Division, MIDA
Phone : +603 2267 6633
Email  : [email protected]

Ministerial Delegation to Italy Attracts RM3.25 Billion Of Potential FDI

Kuala Lumpur, 20 January 2023 – Led by the Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), YB. Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Bin Tengku Abdul Aziz, Malaysia presented a strong proposition to investors at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2023 in Davos, Switzerland, from 16-20 January 2023.

The annual meeting, themed “Cooperation in a Fragmented World,” brought together 2,700 leaders from 130 countries, including 52 heads of state and government, as well as representatives from the private sector and civil society to address the state of the world and top priorities for the year ahead to improve global economic conditions.

At this high-profile gathering, the MITI Minister continuously emphasised Malaysia’s commitment to improve the ease of doing business, maintain a pro-business policy and attract more high-value investments, while also positioning Malaysia as a gateway into Southeast Asia.

YB. Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul was a panelist at a few official WEF sessions including “Living with Risk” and the “Governors Policy Meeting on Supply Chain & Transport”. Tengku Zafrul was also part of a CNBC Panel Session entitled “Global Trade: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Supply Chain Challenge”, which also included His Hon. Ville Skinnari, Finland’s Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, as a panelist.

WEF served as an expeditious platform for the MITI Minister to meet his counterparts, including His Hon. Ahn Duk-geun, Minister for Trade Korea; His Hon. Damien O’Connor, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, New Zealand; His Hon. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, United Arab Emirates; Liesje Schreinemacher, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Netherlands; as well as His Hon. Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Affairs and His Hon. Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Investment, Indonesia; to discuss trade issues including strengthening economic partnership between Malaysia and their countries.

The MITI Minister also met with several key representatives from multinational companies such as Intel Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, P&G, Honeywell, Amazon Web Services, Ericsson, Port of Antwerp, AstraZeneca and Estee Lauder where they exchanged views and insights on ways to strengthen existing business and investment relations as well as exploring further opportunities in Malaysia.

The Malaysian delegation, led by Tengku Zafrul, promoted the government’s initiatives to attract quality and sustainable investments, as well as exchanged views and perspectives with the leaders of other countries and participants.

***ENDS***

About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 21 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube channel.

For more information, please contact:

MIDA
Mr. Faizal Jalaludin
Director, Foreign Investment Division
E: [email protected]   I   T: +60322676650

Malaysia Presents A Strong Proposition to Investors at World Economic Forum (WEF) 2023, Davos

16 January 2023, Penang – Intel Malaysia in collaboration with the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC), the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and Scuttle Robotics has successfully launched the RoboFun (Robotics for University) programme.

Datuk Bahria Mohd Tamil, Deputy Secretary General (Investment) of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has officiated the launching event and expressed, “I applaud Intel’s effort in creating the RoboFun program as one of the on-going collaborations forged between Industry, Government and universities towards strengthening the robotics ecosystem in Malaysia. I believe that all these efforts will ultimately contribute to the evolution of Malaysian industries towards Industry 4.0.”

Datuk Wira Arham Abdul Rahman, CEO of MIDA said, “Intel’s initiative on talent development via RoboFun’s comprehensive training module in collaboration with local universities is an effective method to spur industry and academia knowledge sharing in developing an Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) system. The solution and Industry 4.0-related technology created by our own university talents will encourage local SMEs to optimise productivity as well as to enhance their capabilities. MIDA is looking forward to support the success of this programme which will ultimately improve local graduates’ marketability to meet the industry needs. MIDA will continue to work together synergistically with the industry and academia to support the development of the electrical and electronics (E&E) ecosystem in Malaysia.”

Dato’ Abdul Latif bin Haji Abu Seman, Director General of MPC is optimistic that the RoboFun programme will continue to increase the productivity and competitiveness of our industry and that this trend will continue in the foreseeable future. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) would be a workable solution to the problem of growing labour expenses if only the price of automating processes could be brought down. MPC, in its capacity as the programme’s operational partner, will be in charge of administering the whole training process, with Intel and Scuttle Robotics providing all necessary technical assistance.

Mr. Eric Chan, Vice President of Network and Edge Group, General Manager of Customer Application Support and Enabling, Intel Corporation said, “The digital divide is not just between the rural and the urban as it exists even at places where there are plenty of intellects. We aim to bridge this gap among the faculties, to create a new generation of workforce equipped with a higher appreciation of digital skills and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, regardless of their training disciplines. AMR is one of the best applications to realise multiple advanced technologies’ integration – from mobility, AI, control systems, OS and to automation. RoboFun aspires to help universities build capabilities and ultimately emerge as the core technology and solutions provider for SMEs in the country. We’re also proud that it would serve as a catalyst for the ecosystems to do the same and create a vibrant pool of talents, industry players and adopters of the technology. We are excited to share our experience in providing AMR solutions training to the universities and to continue working closely with all partners under this program, as we know how big a task this is for all,” Eric said when met at the program’s launch in the Intel PG16 premises.

The launching of the event today featured a line-up of five public and private universities namely; Universiti Malaya (UM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) and Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) that were each awarded with Intel’s Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) kits that are instrumental in establishing the universities’ respective Robotics laboratories and will serve to empower students of all faculties to upskill their knowledge and adapt to AMR systems.

Chancellors and deans from universities have expressed their positive support of the programme, citing that the programme will not only benefit youths but will potentially catapult the initiative of enhancing the Autonomous Mobile Robots capabilities among students and lecturers. Through collaboration by Intel and Scuttle Robotics, they managed to produce a robust AMR solution. Considering the driving force behind the demand for AMR robots, the university representatives expressed their confidence that the RoboFun programme is the way forward for Malaysians to address the concern of chronic shortage of skilled workers.

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About Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

MIDA is the Government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 21 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube channel.

About the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)

Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) is a statutory body under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). MPC promotes productivity, quality and competitiveness to the industries and organisations in Malaysia. MPC’s vision is to be the leading organisation in productivity enhancement for global competitiveness and innovation.

About Intel

Intel Malaysia was the first offshore site for Intel Corporation, with more than RM22 billion invested since 1972. Today, Intel Malaysia employs more than 12,000 employees including the country’s largest design and development centre and one of only two Intel shared services hubs supporting HR, Finance, Procurement, IT, and Supply Chain operations to Intel sites globally. Intel Malaysia is also Intel’s largest assembly and test manufacturing site that produces Intel’s latest products utilizing smart manufacturing techniques. © Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

For media enquiries please contact:

MIDA:
Ms. Noor Suziyanti Saad
Director, Electrical & Electronics Division
E-mail : [email protected] | DL: +603 – 2267 3575

MPC :
Ms. Lee Wan Wei
Senior Manager
E-mail : [email protected] | Mobile : +6012 – 295 5105

INTEL :
Mr. Calvin Kwok
Strategic Communications & Higher Education Program Manager,
Public Affairs, Intel Malaysia
E-mail : [email protected] | Mobile : + 6016 – 451 3836

Robofun To Nurture High-Skilled Future Talents

Kuala Lumpur, 9 January 2023 – AEM, a global leader in test innovation, celebrates the grand opening of its new manufacturing plant in Penang. The new plant comprises a 365,000-square-foot area for assembly, quality assurance (QA), a warehouse, an R&D lab, and more, to develop advanced testing and handling equipment.

This expansion comes on the heels of AEM’s highest recorded nine-month revenue level in history for 9M2022 at SGD$747 million. The new plant will also allow AEM to tap into the region’s growth opportunities and talents and bring its operations closer to existing and new customers.

The plant was officiated by the Chief Minister of Penang, Right Honorable Mr. Chow Kon Yeow, the Deputy CEO Investment Development of MIDA, Ms. Lim Bee Vian, AEM’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chandran Nair, and AEM’s Non-Executive Chairman, Loke Wai San. Guests included Penang State Exco Trade, Industry & Entrepreneur Development, Yang Berhormat Dato Haji Abdul Halim Bin Haji Hussain, the Special Investment Advisor to the Chief Minister of Penang, Dato’ Seri Lee Kah Choon, the CEO of InvestPenang, Dato’ Loo Lee Lian, the Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia, Mr. Shivakumar Nair, together with other dignitaries. This momentous ceremony also included an exclusive tour of the plant. Almost 400 employees of AEM joined the celebration with the company’s leadership team.

“AEM’s new manufacturing plant in Penang lends credence to our conduciveness as a global semiconductor hub. With half a century of industrialization in its DNA, Penang has navigated numerous up and down cycles, and has emerged stronger from each. Experiencing an upward trend in its exports, Penang contributed an average 29 per cent of Malaysia’s export, and 58 per cent of the nation’s trade surplus over the past five years. In terms of investments, Penang is among the top contributors to the country, garnering RM9.2 billion in approved manufacturing investments from January to September 2022. Particularly, investments from machinery and equipment industry amounted to a total of RM7.3 billion from 2020 to September 2022, represented 57 per cent of the country’s total,” said Right Honorable Mr. Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang, while congratulating AEM for bringing the expansion plan to fruition.

“Riding on the prolific growth of advanced technologies, I am confident that Penang will be benefitting from the semiconductor industry’s long-term outlook. The state, via InvestPenang, is looking forward to working with AEM in accelerating the region’s vibrant electrical and electronics (E&E) ecosystem development, anchoring our status as the Silicon Valley of the East,” added the Chief Minister.

Ms. Lim Bee Vian, Deputy CEO, Investment Development of MIDA said, “AEM’s footprint in Malaysia will be a strategic advantage to Malaysia’s E&E industry, as the company can offer customized testing solutions for the electronics and semiconductor industries.”

“I am certain that this project demonstrates not only AEM’s confidence in Malaysia’s long-term investment propositions but also the thriving state of the manufacturing industry and its ecosystem in Malaysia. The project is a parallel testament of the global investors’ confidence in Malaysia as the preferred investment destination and the local companies’ capability and readiness to support high-profile business ventures and activities,” she added.

“We’re pleased to announce the opening of our new plant in Penang. It allows us to scale up testing and handling capabilities to meet the growing demand for new semiconductor devices. We ensure our customers’ success by continuing to grow our capabilities to deploy quickly at scale. Together with our centre of excellence in Singapore, I believe we will solidify our position as a hub in the region,” said Chandran Nair, CEO of AEM.

Malaysia is an important market as it is strategically positioned in the heart of Southeast Asia. The E&E industry contributes significantly to Malaysia’s GDP growth, export earnings, investment and employment and plays a vital role in the country’s industrial development. From January to September 2022, Malaysia attracted a total of RM22.6 billion in approved investments for the E&E industry.  

As a hub in the semiconductor global supply chain, Penang accounts for 80 per cent of the nation’s contribution to global backend semiconductor output, and over 5 per cent of the world’s semiconductor sales over the last few years.

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About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 21 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube channel.

About AEM

AEM is a global leader in test innovation. We provide the most comprehensive semiconductor and electronics test solutions based on the best-in-class technologies, processes, and customer support. AEM has a global presence across Asia, Europe, and the United States. With manufacturing plants located in Singapore, Malaysia (Penang), Indonesia (Batam), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), China (Suzhou), and Finland (Lieto), and a global network of engineering support, sales offices, associates, and distributors, we offer our customers a robust and resilient ecosystem of test innovation and support. AEM Holdings Ltd. is listed on the main board of the Singapore Exchange (Reuters: AEM. SI; Bloomberg: AEM: SP). AEM’s head office is in Singapore.

About InvestPenang

InvestPenang is the Penang State Government’s principal agency for promotion of investment. Its objectives are to develop and sustain Penang’s economy by enhancing and continuously supporting business activities in the State through foreign and local investments, including spawning viable new growth centers. To realize its objectives, InvestPenang also runs initiatives like the SMART Penang Center (providing assistance to SMEs), Penang CAT Center (for talent attraction and retention) and i4.0 seed fund (a catalyst for the startup ecosystem). For more information, please visit https://investpenang.gov.my/ and follow InvestPenang’s social media channels: Facebook ; LinkedIn.

For more information, please contact:
MIDA
Ms. Zakiah Sajidan
Director, Machinery and Metal Technology Division, MIDA
E: [email protected] I T: +603-2267 3628

On behalf of AEM
Ms. Deanna Nabilah
RICE Communications
E: [email protected] I T: +65 8161 6864

InvestPenang
Ms. Yeoh Bit Kun
Head of Communication & Business Intelligence
E: [email protected] | T: +604 646 8833

AEM Opens New 365,000-Square-Foot Manufacturing Plant In Penang

Kuala Lumpur, 28 January 2022 – The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) and Intel Malaysia today awarded Intel’s Artificial Intelligent (AI) Kits to five (5) local universities, namely Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Universiti Tenaga Nasional and Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation.

To ensure a conducive learning environment for the youth, MPC, MIDA and Intel Malaysia are pushing to break the myth that digital technology is only for techies. Designed with innovation in mind, the ‘AI-based machine vision’ kits align with the growth of the emerging technologies by providing education institutions an avenue to equip future talents with AI skills.

This handover event is a continuation of Artificial Intelligence for Universities (AI4U) programme launched by the organisations in November 2021, to facilitate the building of their respective AI Labs among these institutions to cultivate computational thinking skills among students of various fields of study. This sponsorship opportunity will also enhance training and learning capabilities, initiate research in technology theories and design, and introduce intelligent computing and machine learning.

Dato’ Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA in his welcome remarks, said “AI education unlocks collaborative and remote learning, giving communities of learners ubiquitous access to knowledge and self-development. MIDA aspires to emulate the success of the AI4U Programme to initiate multiple academia-industry collaborations because such initiatives are fundamental to our future. Besides creating high-value job opportunities, we are responsible for preparing our aspiring young technology innovators and leaders because they are crucial to nation-building in this technologically driven era. We hope today’s milestone will trigger new opportunities to emulate similar partnerships between premier universities and the corporate sector to enhance growth in AI-related research activities and commercial product innovation. Congratulations to everyone involved!”

The Director General of MPC, Dato’ Abdul Latif Hj. Abu Seman said MPC is delighted to collaborate with MIDA and Intel Malaysia in the AI4U programme. He remarked, “As technology evolves, employers are asking for graduates with different skills as well and higher education will need to respond accordingly. As we ramp up our efforts, we gave the education institutions a facelift to reflect our goals for an AI-driven future.”

The five (5) selected universities are expected to establish their respective AI labs, which will serve to empower students of all faculties to learn and experience AI. This programme is also designed to have the computer science faculty of the universities to be the peer trainer by their respective computer science students and lecturers to the rest of their faculty.

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About MIDA
MIDA is the government’s principal promotion agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About MPC
The Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) is a statutory body under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). MPC promotes productivity, quality and competitiveness to the industries and organisations in Malaysia. MPC’s vision is to be the leading organisation in productivity enhancement for global competitiveness and innovation.

For media enquiries, please contact:

MIDA
Aizah Abdullah
Director
Industry Talent Management and Expatriate Division
[email protected] | DL: +603-2267 3529

MPC
Huda Atiqah Samsir
[email protected] | DL: +6013 726 1950

Lee Wan Wei
[email protected] | DL: +6012 295 5105

MIDA, MPC and Intel Taking AI Innovation to The Next Level for Education Institutions

Kuala Lumpur, 13 January 2022 – The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) kickstarted their 2022 to build relationships in appreciating partners and stakeholders’ contribution towards MIDA in 2021. During their annual media appreciation and networking event, YBhg. Dato’ Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, thanked the unwavering commitment and support from the media team in helping MIDA highlight Malaysia’s potential as an investment destination in 2021 and shared a brief insight into the organisation’s theme for this year, “Rebuilding a sustainable economy through quality investment and strategic investment supply chain development in 2022”.

The Government, via MIDA, remains focused on attracting high-quality investments from foreign and domestic companies into Malaysia through various investment strategies and policy initiatives amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

From January to September 2021, Malaysia attracted RM177.8 billion approved investments in the manufacturing, services and primary sectors and generated 79,899 job opportunities. Within the first nine months of 2021, foreign direct investments (FDI) contributed RM106.1 billion, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of the total approved investments. The remainder, 40.3per cent or RM71.7 billion, were channelled from domestic direct investments (DDI), thanks to the existing and new aspiring local companies meeting the growing industrial needs of different MNCs.

Many Fortune 500 and local companies made pivotal decisions to leverage Malaysia’s role as a strategic supply chain hub with cost advantages and pro-business policies, a friendly economic environment and ASEAN trade and bilateral relations.

MIDA has consistently explored avenues to enhance its business processes, delivery and facilitation to further increase efficiency in supporting investors. Among the major initiatives undertaken by the Government to improve Malaysia’s investment environment include:-

a. One-Stop-Centre (OSC) Facilities
To facilitate the movement of short-term business travellers during the pandemic.

b. The Digital Investment Office (DIO)
A fully digital collaborative platform between MIDA and the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to spur the charge towards facilitating digital investments in Malaysia.

c. InvestMalaysia
A single gateway portal for approval of investment projects.

d. MIDA’s Project Acceleration and Coordination Unit (PACU)
End-to-end facilitation to all approved projects in the country, enabling speedy and efficient implementation.

e. MIDA Assessment Development Centre (MADC)
A collaboration initiative known as HyTalent Programme; a synergised effort between three (3) premier local universities that offer up-skilling and re-skilling programmes to local graduates and talented individuals to make them career and industry-ready.

f. The Intervention Fund (IF) and Smart Automation Grant (SAG)
To facilitate our local players’ technical competencies.

YBhg. Dato’ Arham Abdul Rahman shared, “We focused on accelerating the adoption and adaptation of digitalisation to transition brick and mortar hubs into “smart factories” to enhance flexibility and optimise productivity and growth remotely. We strive to ensure that Malaysia remains welcoming of investors by rolling out several game-changing measures to ease the challenges of operating businesses in the country while encouraging and facilitating the adoption of technology, innovation and research by companies. Looking towards 2022, MIDA encourages companies to accelerate the adoption of digitalisation and intensify research and development (R&D) activities to discover new technologies”.

Malaysia also focuses on pursuing more high quality, capital-intensive projects and those that support the sustainable development agenda of the nation. Aligning to the Shared Prosperity Vision (SPV) 2030 and the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMK12), the country has been securing new investments that align well with Malaysia’s National Investment Aspirations (NIA) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. The NIA is expected to propel Malaysia’s long-term growth through the flow of sustainable quality investment in new and complex growth areas.

To reflect this, MIDA has lined up targetted trade and investment missions (TIM) and Specific project Missions (SPM) to capture investments in high technology, innovation and research-driven industries that will complement the Malaysian industrial ecosystem. MIDA has a pipeline of 477 projects with proposed investments of RM33.3 billion in the manufacturing and services sectors within MIDA’s purview. These include aerospace, electronic vehicles, machinery and equipment, IC design, advanced electronics; advanced materials; fine chemicals; renewable energy such as photovoltaic; optics and photonics; display technology; petrochemical; pharmaceutical, medical devices, etc. food security.

“As the coordinating central investment promotion agency and a one-stop centre for potential investments, we look forward to working collaboratively with the relevant investment promotion agencies to harness the competitive strengths of every state within Malaysia.” added Dato’ Arham.

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About MIDA
MIDA is the Government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into Malaysia’s manufacturing and services sectors. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channels.

For further enquiries, please contact:

MIDA
Fatmah Ahmad
Senior Deputy Director
+603  2267 2428
[email protected]

Citrine One   
Edna Zacharias
Communication Director
+601 6355 4758
[email protected]

Citrine One
Jane Goh
Consultant
+601 3312 1027
[email protected]

MIDA Affirms Commitment to Building a Sustainable Investment Ecosystem for Malaysia in 2022

Kuala Lumpur, 7 January 2022 — Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), today announced an investment of RM1 million to strengthen collaboration, research and development (R&D) projects with local universities over the next five years. Funding will go towards grants supporting research in the areas of semiconductor materials, smart manufacturing and artificial intelligence which are key to the advancement of tech manufacturing in the country.

“Like all fellow Penangites, my colleagues and I are immensely proud of Penang’s achievements in the electronic and electrical industry. Yet to go further, we need partners who share our vision for Penang, and Micron is one of them,” said Yang Amat Berhormat Tuan Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang. “The RM1 million grant funding to local universities by Micron today further reinforces the company’s commitment to using its leadership, influence and resources to create positive change, on top of its relentless efforts in employee wellbeing, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility.”

“We are encouraged by Micron’s efforts and contribution to build a resilient semiconductor ecosystem that supports Malaysia’s competitiveness as the destination of choice for future investments,” said YBhg. Dato’ Arham Abdul Rahman, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). “For the past 50 years, MIDA has strived to position Malaysia as an international manufacturing hub whose holistic electrical and electronics ecosystem enables front-end and back-end semiconductor production, and this would not have materialised without the active contribution of the corporate sector. Besides advancing business growth, their involvement in universities’ academic curriculum development has been catalytic in grooming aspiring young technology innovators and leaders who are fundamental to this industry’s success. This partnership between Micron and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) is set to create new growth opportunities and we welcome such collaborations to transpire between other various institutors and companies.”

“Malaysia is critical to our global manufacturing footprint, and we hope the funding and knowledge transfer to local universities will strengthen the local semiconductor ecosystem, advance R&D and deepen science, technology and engineering skills in the local talent pool,” said Amarjit Singh Sandhu, Corporate Vice President and Country Manager of Micron Malaysia. “We aim to use our presence and influence to contribute to Malaysia’s economy, including generating quality jobs and increasing the country’s productivity, efficiency, and global competitiveness.”

USM is the first university partner to receive funding from Micron. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Micron and USM was signed during an official (virtual) ceremony by Amarjit Singh Sandhu, Corporate Vice President and Country Manager of Micron Malaysia and YBhg. Professor Dato’ Dr. Faisal Rafiq Bin Mahamd Adikan, Vice Chancellor of USM.

Witnessing the funding announcement and MOU signing ceremony were Yang Amat Berhormat Tuan Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang, and YBhg. Dato’ Arham Abdul Rahman, CEO of MIDA. Also in attendance were YBhg Professor Dato’ Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Mohamed, Deputy Vice Chancellor of USM, YBhg. Dato’ Seri Lee Kah Choon, Special Investment Advisor to Chief Minister of Penang, and YBhg. Dato’ Loo Lee Lian, CEO of InvestPenang.

“I wish to thank Micron for giving USM the opportunity to be the first university partner to receive funding and hope that it will spur research and strengthen the collaborations between both organisations,” said YBhg. Professor Dato’ Dr. Faisal Rafiq Bin Mahamd Adikan, Vice Chancellor of USM. “The partnership between Micron and USM is in line with the focus area of the National Fourth Industrial Revolution’s policy, and supported by national policies such as the 12^th Malaysia Plan and Wawasan Kemakmuran Bersama 2030.”

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About MIDA
MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

About Micron Technology, Inc.
We are an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions transforming how the world uses information to enrich life for all. With a relentless focus on our customers, technology leadership, and manufacturing and operational excellence, Micron delivers a rich portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND and NOR memory and storage products through our Micron® and Crucial® brands. Every day, the innovations that our people create fuel the data economy, enabling advances in artificial intelligence and 5G applications that unleash opportunities — from the data center to the intelligent edge and across the client and mobile user experience. To learn more about Micron Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MU), visit micron.com.

© 2022 Micron Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Information, products, and/or specifications are subject to change without notice. Micron, the Micron logo, and all other Micron trademarks are the property of Micron Technology, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

For more information, please contact:

MIDA Industry Talent Management and Expatriate Division
Aizah Abdullah
Director
+603-2267 3529
[email protected]

Micron Media Relations Contact
Erica Pompen
Micron Technology, Inc.
+1 (408) 834-1873
[email protected]

Micron Investor Relations Contact
Farhan Ahmad
Micron Technology, Inc.
+1 (408) 834-1927
[email protected]

Micron Invests RM1 Million to Support Research at Local Universities

Kuala Lumpur, 29 January 2021 – The United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released earlier this week its latest Global Investment Trend Monitor report. It estimated that Global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flow fell by 42 per cent to an estimated USD859 billion in 2020 compared to USD1.5 trillion recorded in 2019. Almost all regions reported lower FDI in 2020, mainly due to the impact of lockdowns and a drastic decrease in the economic activities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FDI flows to developing economies decreased by 12 per cent. The decline was reflected across all types of investments: greenfield projects (- 4 per cent), cross-border projects finance deals (-7 per cent) and cross-border M&A (- 4 per cent). FDI into South East Asia contracted by 31 per cent due to a decline in investments to the largest recipients in the sub region; inflows in Singapore fell by 37 per cent, Indonesia by 24 per cent, Vietnam by 10 per cent, Thailand by 50 per cent and Malaysia by 68 per cent.

The Government acknowledges that the FDI landscape has been and will likely remain challenging and highly competitive. As such, accelerating investments is a key priority in securing Malaysia’s growth recovery. In the recent period, efforts have been intensified to further attract and facilitate quality investments. Under PENJANA, the Government had announced several tax incentives to spur investment activity, including a 10-15 year tax exemption for new FDI in the manufacturing sector with capital investment of RM300 million or more. Measures to further improve investor experience, in particular, to ensure seamless investor facilitation will continue to be pursued on an ongoing basis. Specific initiatives that have been implemented include, amongst others, the establishment of the Project Acceleration and Coordination Unit (PACU) and various online platforms including i-Incentive to expedite the realisation of investments. The Government is also currently formulating a national investment strategy to attract high-quality investments that can meaningfully enhance Malaysia’s productive capacity, create high-skilled jobs, promote technology transfer and foster domestic linkages.

These efforts will further augment Malaysia’s attractiveness as an investment destination. As indicated by a recent joint study by KPMG and the Manufacturing Institute in the United States entitled “Cost of Manufacturing Operations around the Globe”, Malaysia was ranked fourth amongst 17 economies, which is ahead of countries in Asia such as China, Japan, Vietnam and India. The study validates Malaysia’s aspirations to become a global supply chain hub in the region. Further, MNCs are using Malaysia as a hub for treasury management services as well as a myriad of activities of related services.

Malaysia was also ranked second in terms of ease of doing business in ASEAN (12th globally) and for protecting investors according to the World Bank Doing Business Report 2020; fourth globally in handling the COVID-19 crisis according to Blackbox Research and Toluna; fifth amongst emerging economies as a key destination for investment and businesses, on the back of potential rapid economic recovery, stable fiscal and financial position and the ability to contain and alleviate the COVID-19 pandemic according to a recent report by Bloomberg.

Investment intentions remain healthy in Malaysia. Malaysia recorded a total of RM109.8 billion worth of approved investments in the economy (manufacturing, services and primary sectors) for the first nine months of 2020. These investments involved 2,935 projects and will create 64,701 jobs opportunities. FDIs accounted for almost 40 per cent (RM42.6 billion). The realisation of these investments over the immediate to medium term will provide support to economic growth in 2021 and beyond.

The manufacturing sector attracted the largest portion of approved investments for this period, contributing more than half (59.5 per cent) or RM65.3 billion, followed by the services sector (39 per cent/RM42.8 billion), and the primary sector (1.5 per cent/RM1.7 billion). Investments approved in the manufacturing sector for the period of January to September 2020 saw an increase of 16.6 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2019. FDI in the manufacturing sector particularly saw an increase of 3.2 per cent to RM39.4 billion.

Malaysia has attracted a fair share of multinational corporations in the high-end and high- technology industries. This includes Schmidt and Nephew from the United Kingdom that produces high-tech medical device products including knee and hip implants; similarly, a new project by Dexcom, a US company and leader in continuous glucose monitoring system will be producing their niche offerings in Malaysia; LAM Research, a US global supplier of innovative wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry that chose Malaysia to expand its global footprint by establishing its advanced technology production facility in Pulau Pinang; LEM, a Switzerland-based electrical measurement company that will set up its new production plant in Malaysia to meet the growing demand of its customers in the industrial and automotive sectors; MusicTribe, a US-based multinational leader for professional audio products and musical instruments, on the other hand, is leveraging Malaysia to set up an Industry 4.0-driven, fully robotised manufacturing facility in addition to their Principal Hub activities; and the most recently SK Nexilis, a Korean copper foil manufacturer producing electric vehicle batteries is another example.

Existing companies also continue to expand their operations in Malaysia, illustrating Malaysia’s on-going value proposition to investors. These include Eppendorf, a leading German life science company that established an integrated centre for their shared services hub, covering functions such as IT, HR as well as Finance and Controlling, for the Group’s operations in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa; Bosch, an existing German company for setting up a manufacturing facility park for testing of semiconductor components and sensors; B.Braun, an existing German company, expanded its global test centre for medical devices due to strong talent capability in Malaysia; Wistron, the Taiwan-based company engaged in the research and development, design, manufacture and sale of E&E products; Western Digital, a US company and the third largest computer Hard Disk Drive (HDD), Solid State Drive (SSD) and flash memory devices manufacturer in the world announced their additional investments in Malaysia to design, develop and manufacture media and substrates for HDD; Nippon Electric Glass (NEG), a leading Japanese manufacturer of specialty glass has also expanded their production capacity of glass tubing for pharmaceutical use in Malaysia given the demand for its products following the vaccine roll-out.

Looking ahead, foreign investment into Malaysia is expected to be sustained at pre-COVID level as MIDA has identified 240 high-profile foreign investment projects in the manufacturing and services sectors, with a combined potential investment value of RM81.9 billion, that are being negotiated and targeted by Malaysia in 2021. Presently, MIDA has also received and evaluated RM47.7 billion worth of potential investments into the country. These projects, once approved, are expected to be implemented within the year 2021 to 2022.

Being located in the Asia Pacific rim and the centre of ASEAN, Malaysia continues to be an attractive investment destination. The availability of excellent infrastructure, telecommunication services, financial and banking services, supporting industries as well as a diverse pool of talents with skills and trainable workforce has been pull factors for investors to consider. Malaysia.

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About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

For more information, please contact:
Ms. Choo Wai Meng,
Executive Director Strategic Planning (Manufacturing), MIDA.
Email: wmchoo @mida.gov.my | DL: +603-2267 3434

Ms. Roslina Othman,
Director, Investment Statistics Division
Email: [email protected] | DL: +603-2267 6650

Malaysia Remains Steadfast To Accelerate Quality Investments

Kuala Lumpur, 27 January 2021 – In collaboration with Intel Malaysia, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) has successfully organised a Virtual Artificial Intelligence for SMEs (AI4S) on 27 January 2021. This virtual event is the continuation of the first Axiomtek Artificial Intelligence Starter Kit launch on 18 August 2020; which led Intel Malaysia to award the AI Starter Kits to 100 selected companies in Malaysia. These identified SMEs will go through a comprehensive technology enabling process and training that will empower them to implement pilot projects in their settings to jump-start the Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Industry 4.0 journey.

The AI Starter Kit was co-developed with Axiomtek to bring in the right Industry 4.0 technology for the local industries to adopt and benefit its results. Axiomtek is a leading design and manufacturing company in the industrial computer and embedded field, based in Taiwan. It has successfully gained global recognition for its innovative designs and outstanding customer satisfaction. Axiomtek has successfully partnered with Intel Malaysia to develop and deliver cutting-edge solutions and technologies for its clients.

During his keynote address, Dato’ Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MIDA, said “While the country is gearing steadily into the knowledge and digital economy, Industry 4.0 adoption is deemed crucial for business survival and growth in innovation-led value creation. There are untapped opportunities available for the business community, especially SMEs. We want more SMEs to step up to embrace new technologies in their business activity. We know that there are numerous local companies out there that are capable of AI technology adoption but are not aware of how and where to start.”

The AI4S event sealed Intel Malaysia as one of the industry captains in paving the way for the adoption of Industry 4.0 and supporting SMEs to build value within the domestic industry ecosystem and preparing Malaysia to rise among the regional leaders in Industry 4.0. In this collaborative engagement, Intel Malaysia has committed to provide technology, knowledge transfer and some hardware funds. Intel Malaysia, together with Axiomtek will also provide training, supervision and mentoring of the pilot projects implementation by each participating local company. Simultaneously, the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC) will assist in coordinating the entire programme.

This initiative is also part of Intel’s onboarding to Malaysia’s Lighthouse Programme which is being pursued by MIDA. It aims to back industry leaders in accelerating the Industry 4.0 adoption to a scalable and impactful stage while also influencing the domestic ecosystem providers for similar transformation by facilitating them to address implementation barriers and overcome challenges.

Dato’ Azman also suggested, “Moving forward I have proposed Intel to explore in enabling the universities in Malaysia to adapt and prepare the future workforce to embrace AI once they enter the job market. This graduate skill would reduce the colossal learning curve in work fields, while saving employers’ precious time and resources in correcting them into expected abilities.”

The AI4S Programme is hoped to inspire other MNCs to emulate Intel’s good intention in contributing back to the industrial ecosystem in Malaysia and increase the value proposition for the benefit of domestic economy. MIDA seeks industry leaders and players to take the opportunity and leverage the numerous facilitations offered by the Government to embrace Industry 4.0. These include Automation Capital Allowance (ACA), Industry4WRD Intervention Fund, as well as Smart Automation Grant (SAG) for companies undertaking automation in their manufacturing and processes.

The webinar has successfully attracted an overwhelming crowd of more than 1600 participants across different platforms through live webinar, FB page and Youtube Channel.

The details pertaining to the Automation Capital Allowance (ACA), Industry4WRD Intervention Fund and Smart Automation Grant (SAG) are available in MIDA official website at www.mida.gov.my.

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About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Norhizam Ibrahim
Director,
Advanced Technology and Research and Development Division, MIDA
Email: [email protected] | DL: +603 2267 6611

MIDA and Intel Malaysia continue initiative in driving Malaysia towards Industry 4.0

Kuala Lumpur, 27 January 2021 – CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (CARI) in partnership with ASEAN Business Club hosted another webinar under its flagship Invest ASEAN series on ‘Italian Industry Expertise in Malaysia’.

The session featured Dato’ Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA); His Excellency Cristiano Maggipinto, Ambassador of Italy in Kuala Lumpur; Luciano Pezzotta, Deputy Chairman of Eurocham Malaysia and Executive Board Member of the Italy Malaysia Business Association (IMBA); Lamberto Barbieri, Managing Director of CRIF Regional Headquarters (HQ) in Asia; Vincenzo Alaimo, Vice President of Asia Pacific, Global Sales of Leonardo Helicopters Division; and Dr Luciano Giorgi, Country Manager (Malaysia) of Maire Tecnimont and Chairman of Allied Elite Limited.

Moderated by Tan Sri Dr. Munir Majid, Chairman of CARI, the discussion emphasised on the recently signed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement providing an outstanding platform for multinationals to tap into the regional trading area that represents 30 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Malaysia as a vibrant RCEP member provides significant trading and investment opportunities, including for the Italian businesses operating in the region.

Italian investments in Malaysia have ventured in various sectors such as oil and gas, petrochemicals, aerospace, and green and circular economy. Greater collaboration between Malaysia and Italy will further open Malaysia’s private sector to tap into Italy’s advanced technological expertise and expediting the momentum of Malaysia’s digital economy.

ASEAN as a growing trade and investment hub
Tan Sri Dr. Munir in his opening statement highlighted on Invest ASEAN series presenting an active forum for influential policymakers and corporate leaders to share and identify key opportunities for growth and development in the ASEAN region, apart from analysing the emerging trends on global business and markets.

“Notwithstanding the COVID-19-induced global slowdown, ASEAN remains a dynamic region. With a combined GDP of US$3.2 billion in 2019, ASEAN represented the fifth-largest economy in the world. As the central player of the RCEP Agreement, ASEAN offers global businesses to tap into the largest free trade agreement in the world. With 15 signatories, RCEP represents a market of 2.2 billion people and a combined GDP of US$26.2 billion,” said Tan Sri Dr. Munir.

He added, “On the other side of the equation, many of us may not realise that Italy is well above the EU average in the production and use of industrial robots and adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies such as the cloud, IoT and M2M (machine to machine) communications. It is the second largest manufacturer in the EU, after Germany. Its strong industrial base and awareness of digitalisation are something which ASEAN countries would want to be engaged with.”

Italy remains committed to Malaysia as a trading and investment partner
H.E. Cristiano Maggipinto stressed that Italy has pursued a strategy to strengthen relations with ASEAN. The commitment was also conveyed through the 53rd Session of the ASEAN Ministers of Foreign Affairs Summit, in which Italy’s candidacy as Development Partner of the Association was unanimously approved.

“This important outcome institutionalised our growing political, economic and social ties, giving us a prominent role in Southeast Asia. In this framework, Italy has given new depth to the relations with Malaysia, which represents one of the most relevant nation in ASEAN and offers a number of benefits that are not easily found in the region,” stated Ambassador Maggipinto.

He points out that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade between Italy and Malaysia in the first seven months of 2020 remained at similar level to 2019. Italian companies in Malaysia are operating in a wide range of sectors including oil and gas, defence and aerospace, construction, automotive, and chemicals.

Government undertaking major initiatives to drive investments into Malaysia
Dato’ Azman Mahmud shared that Malaysia continues to be a competitive investment destination despite the global uncertainties, with US$26.4 billion worth of approved investments in the overall economy in the first nine months of 2020. In fact Investments approved in the manufacturing sector for the period of January to September 2020 saw an increase of 16.6% in capital investments compared to the corresponding period in 2019; with FDI recording an increase of 3.2%. The Malaysian government is undertaking additional initiatives to drive foreign investments, such as easing operating of businesses through digitalising selected government services, providing new tax incentives for the pharmaceutical and services sectors, as well as implementing a One Stop Centre (OSC) to facilitate the entry of business travellers into the country.

“Malaysia’s economic structure and the solid macroeconomic management continue to support the country’s economic fundamentals as we advance into the new normal. As we move towards strategic diversification, particularly in high-value products and high-end services, the country offers vast opportunities for Italian investments in high-quality machinery and equipment, aerospace, green technology, automotive technologies, and industrial design. MIDA is optimistic that more quality investment will be coming to Malaysia in the coming years,” said Dato’ Azman Mahmud.

Dato’ Azman also urged Malaysia’s private sector to leverage upon Italian technological expertise to help facilitate Malaysia’s digital economy, which is expected to grow by 21% between 2020 and 2025, reaching an estimated US$30 billion gross merchandise value (GMV) by 2025.

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid
Director of Foreign Investment Promotion Division Division, MIDA
Email: [email protected]
DL: +603 2267 6633

Mr. Jukhee Hong Executive
Director CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (CARI)
Email: [email protected]

About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

About CARI
CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (CARI) was established in 2011 by CIMB Group. CARI is the first independent, transnational research institute dedicated solely to the advancement and acceleration of ASEAN integration.

ASEAN as an Investment Hub: Italian Businesses Eye Malaysia as the Gateway to Opportunities Arising Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

SABAH, 26 JANUARY 2021 – SK Nexilis, a copper foil producer for electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer SKC, has announced its first overseas production base to be in KKIP Industrial Complex, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

With proposed investments of approximately South Korean Won (KRW) 650 billion (RM2.3 billion), the Company looks to construct a copper foil manufacturing facility with an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons.

The facility’s construction will tentatively begin in the first half of 2021 and commercial operations to kickstart by 2023. Once in operations, the new facility will increase SK Nexilis’ copper foil production capacity by three times its current global capacity to about 100,000 tons.

SK Nexilis boasts of as world No.1 technology in manufacturing copper foil for batteries. The Company has an industry reputation for building among the best copper foil factories.

YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) welcomed the Company’s announcement, “The Government is pleased that a subsidiary of a Fortune 500 company has chosen Malaysia as its first overseas investment location. This is one of the many success stories where MIDA has facilitated to bring quality investments into the country. As a global leader in thin-tech innovation for copper foil manufacturing, we believe SK Nexilis’ presence will attract more investors to complete Malaysia’s EV battery manufacturing supply chain network, making us a hub for high precision and high quality copper foil for niche applications.”

“Indeed, this investment will also boost Malaysia’s talent network and capabilities through initiatives with domestic universities and technical institutes. Despite the ongoing pandemic, MIDA continues to draw high technology investment such as these into the country to provide tangible opportunities for innovation and local supply chain development. This is value creation which will boost our local industry’s ecosystem and competitiveness,” added Dato’ Seri Azmin.

The Company has already improved productivity by enhancing its fourth (4th) factory facility in the Korea, which began its commercial operation this year, by strategically including wireless vehicles and robots. SK Nexilis looks to upgrade further its fifth (5th) and sixth (6th) factories in Korea as well. It will introduce state-of-the-art automation in its Malaysian facility, by integrating the world’s best technology and its know-how from enhancements made to its factories in South Korea; building the world’s best copper foil production facilities in Malaysia.

Notably, the proposed facility in Malaysia will also fully implement the RE100 initiative, an initiative towards committing to 100 per cent renewable electricity, for the first time in the industry. This move is part of the Company’s proactive response to requests from major global customers who want to increase the proportion of RE100 materials within their supply chain.

Six (6) of SK Group companies, including SK Nexilis’ parent company, SKC, are currently promoting RE100; the Group was the first member of RE100 initiative in Korea. Hence, this facilities’ RE100 undertaking will further strengthen its Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) Management.

In particular, Malaysia’s KKIP Industrial Complex, became the apparent choice for SK Nexilis’ investment in the region given its advantage in terms of power supply, which is key to copper foil manufacturing. Malaysia provides the most stable and competitively priced electricity supply among its Southeast Asian counterpart. The selected site also has excellent infrastructure such as gas and water and high accessibility to ports and large international airports which are required for exports.

SK Nexilis is also considering further investments in Malaysia, Europe and the United States to quickly respond to the rapidly growing EV market. According to SNE Research, the EV market will increase by 41 per cent annually and the battery market by 38 per cent by 2025.

An official from SK Nexilis shared, “We will be able to respond more quickly to customer requests by establishing a production facility in Malaysia with the best technology to produce the world’s thinnest copper foil for secondary batteries. This facility will also have the technological capabilities to produce various specialised products as per our customers’ requests.”

He added, “By entering Malaysia, SK Nexilis will secure cost competitiveness and reinforce our ESG management such as implementing RE100, while accelerating global expansion with additional investments. This will solidify our position as the global No. 1 copper foil manufacturer.”

SK Nexilis is currently in the midst of submitting their application for Manufacturing Licence to MIDA.

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About MIDA
MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

About SK Nexilis
SK Nexilis is a global No.1 company in producing Copper foil for batteries, a core material for lithium-ion batteries, and supplies its products to major EV and battery companies around the world. Established in Jeong-eup, South Korea in 1996, SK Nexilis is running its business as a member of SK Group after several mergers and acquisitions. For more information, please visit www.sknexilis.co.kr

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Jeyasigan Narayanan Nair
Executive Director
Machinery and Metals Division, MIDA
Email: [email protected]
DL: +603-2267 6711

Ms. Jiwon Ahn
Manager
Communication Team, SKC
Email : [email protected]

SK Nexilis Announces Its First Overseas Investment in Malaysia

26th January 2021, Kuala Lumpur – The Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA) today announced impressive gains from the successful 11th International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM 2020), the first virtual edition held in October 2020; solidifying IGEM’s role as South East Asia’s most powerful green technology, business and innovation platform.

Themed “Energising Sustainability”, IGEM 2020 delivered beyond two-fold of target business leads of RM1.6 billion; achieving a pipeline of RM3.4 billion investment interest. These leads have been computed from the RM3.08 billion potential investments from 64 projects recorded by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and RM339 million in potential exports recorded by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), during MATRADE’s International Sourcing Program (INSP).

The IGEM 2020 Virtual platform which featured 161 exhibitors registered more than 15,000 visitations from 79 countries and clocked up to 10,000 participants engaging in the 55 conference sessions and 77 pocket talks, throughout the event from 19-23 Oct 2020.

Yang Berhormat Dato’ Sri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Minister of Environment and Water said, “It is indeed a commendable feat that IGEM 2020 has surpassed its targets, despite being held virtually for the very first time and against a backdrop of global economic uncertainty. This reinforces KASA’s commitment to expand drive and growth of the green technology sector as an important engine in developing Malaysia’s economy.”

“As we continue to recover and build, I urge budding green entrepreneurs and key industry leaders to explore how we can work together and further build partnerships for a greener and sustainable economy in the year 2021,” he added.

Given the success of virtual IGEM 2020, the Minister announced that IGEM 2021 will take on a virtual platform again and offers sponsors, exhibitors, participants, as well as all other stakeholders’ greater visibility, flexibility, and opportunities to work with the Ministry in catalysing growth in the national, regional and global green economy. IGEM 2021 may run over a period of 6 months to create more value and opportunities to its exhibitors and visitors.

Targeting RM2 billion in business leads with 200 exhibitor booths and over 10,000 visitors from 20 countries this year, IGEM 2021 will also see the reaffirmation of investment strategic partner, MIDA and business-matching partner, MATRADE to organise the much-in-demand business matching sessions for the twelfth consecutive year.

Dato’ Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA said, “We are indeed proud that the targeted RM1.6 billion business leads for IGEM 2020 have been reinforced with new projection of RM3.08 billion investment in Renewable Energy (RE), Energy Efficiency (EE), Solar Leasing, Integrated Waste Management, Green Building and manufacturing sectors. The Renewable Energy segment for waste management has gained highest investment leads of RM1.75 billion (57%), followed by RM814 million (26%) interest in Renewable Energy for mini hydro.”

“Starting from 2016 until September 2020, MIDA has also approved 1,317 green technology projects with investments amounting to RM18.55 billion, as well as 63 specialised green service companies with a total proposed operational expenditure of RM318.51 million, under the incentives of Green Technology. This exuberant indicator points to potentially stronger investment flows in the areas of green technology within our country.” he added.

IGEM 2021 Virtual will be co-organised by the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC), the lead agency for KASA in charge of developing and implementing new programmes on green growth, climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation; in line with the nation’s green agenda.

Shamsul Bahar Mohd Nor, Chief Executive Officer of MGTC added, “With another triumphant year for IGEM, we look forward to IGEM 2021, which will be held on a bigger scale through the hosting of international exhibitors, regional delegates, industry and thought leaders physically here in Malaysia, as well as reaching out globally to the larger community of international green entrepreneurs via the virtual platform.”

“From our experience in co-organising IGEMs and as demonstrated by the results announced today, the green economy continues to thrive both in Malaysia and globally. In view of the countless possibilities yet to be unearthed within the sector, I think it is truly very exciting to witness how green economy will shape a more environmentally sustainable and economically stable Malaysia in the coming years,” he concluded.

IGEM 2021 Virtual will kick-off on 1st July 2021 till 31st Dec 2021. For further details, please visit www.igem.my.

About Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre (MGTC)

Formerly known as Pusat Tenaga Malaysia (PTM), Malaysian Green Technology Corporation (MGTC) was restructured in April 2010 and was under the purview of the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA) until 2018. Assuming the role of the country’s lead agency, MGTC focuses on catalysing the green technology agenda in line with the aspirations of the National Green Technology Policy 2009.

MGTC was under the purview of the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate Change (MESTECC) from 2018 until early 2020. MGTC is currently helmed by the Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA) and now known as the Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre. MGTC develops and implements programmes on green growth, climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation.About Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

MIDA is the government’s principal promotion agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

For more information, please contact:

MIDA
Ms. Wan Hashimah Wan Salleh
Director, Green Technology Division
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 03 – 2267 3540

MGTC
Zaid Karim Shaari
Director, Green Promotion
Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 012 – 2977625

For media enquiries:
Intan Syazwani Isa
Head, Corporate Communication
Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change Centre
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 012 – 7023110

Virtual IGEM 2020 Garnered RM 3.4 Billion Business Leads

Kuala Lumpur, 18 January 2021 – AmBank has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) to offer Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Mid-Tier Companies (MTCs) the opportunity to be part of MIDA’s Smart Automation Grant (SAG).

This partnership between AmBank and MIDA aims to help companies refine their knowledge particularly SMEs and MTCs on matters relating to automation and digitalisation. AmBank will be undertaking a series of simulation trainings and classroom sessions that are specifically designed to help companies identify business pain points and prioritise automation and digitalisation solutions.

Dato’ Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, said that “The collaboration between MIDA and AmBank complements our goal to create awareness and financial guidance to assist Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Mid-Tier Companies (MTCs) to automate and digitalise their operations and production process. This will be realised toward the co-implementation of the Smart Automation Grant and the ongoing AmBank BizRACE programme.”

He also added that “Understanding the needs of investors, SAG will not only improve Malaysia’s industrial competitiveness and capabilities but also reduce our reliance on low-skilled foreign workers while creating new job opportunities in high value-added sectors. We trust that this partnership will result in driving Malaysia’s businesses and accelerate economic growth towards continuous adoption of automation and digitalisation.”

The SAG initiative is part of the RM100 million allocation approved within the National Economic Recovery Plan or PENJANA, launched by the Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) on 2 December 2020. This grant will be awarded to eligible SMEs and MTCs on a matching basis or 50 per cent of total eligible expenditures, up to a maximum grant cap of RM1 million per company.

Dato’ Sulaiman Mohd Tahir, Group Chief Executive Officer of AmBank Group, said, “We are pleased to be the first bank to collaborate with MIDA to provide much needed assistance to SMEs and MTCs. This assistance is particularly timely given the challenging business landscape we are faced with today. Through this collaboration, we are able to share our expertise and resources with these companies to help them future-proof their businesses.”

“This initiative will be part of the AmBank BizRACE programme to develop our clients in the key areas of IR 4.0, digitalisation and the halal industry, which is in line with AmBank’s sustainability agenda. At AmBank, we believe in going beyond financing to help our customers compete better. The AmBank BizRACE programme provides a platform for SMEs to have a head start in driving new revenue streams, new products, upskilling their talent and driving efficiency by adopting digital and automation solutions. This is part of our push to help SMEs reset and revive their businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

SMEs and MTCs that have been undertaking manufacturing or services activities in the past 12 months are eligible to be considered for SAG. To qualify for the incentive, the automation machine, equipment or software purchased through this grant must be utilised directly in the company’s value chain to improve their productivity and efficiency. Improvements will be assessed on a range of criteria such as the reduction of unskilled workers, man-hours, defect rate as well as the increase in production volume. Interested stakeholders can submit their application to the various industries and services divisions in MIDA.

To find out more about the Guidelines of SAG please visit:
https://www.mida.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GD_SAG22122020.pdf

About MIDA

MIDA is the Government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

About AmBank Group

AmBank Group is a leading financial services group with over 40 years of expertise in supporting the economic development of Malaysia. We have over three million customers and employ over 9,000 people. The Group was listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia in 1988. It is the sixth-largest banking group by assets in Malaysia, with a market capitalisation of around RM9 billion and assets of RM169.2 billion as at 31 March 2020. AmBank Group serves over three million individual and corporate customers. It provides services in wholesale banking, retail banking, business banking, investment banking and related financial services which include Islamic banking, underwriting of general insurance, stock and share broking, futures broking, investment advisory and management services in assets, real estate investment trust and unit trusts. For more information, please visit www.ambankgroup.com

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Masni Muhammad
Director, Strategic Planning and Policy Advocacy (Manufacturing) Division
Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)
Phone : +603 2267 3444
Email : [email protected]

Mr. Syed Anuar Syed Ali
Executive Vice President, Group Corporate Communications & Marketing, AmBank (M) Berhad
Phone : +603 2036 1703
Email : [email protected]

AmBank Inks MOU With MIDA on Smart Automation Grant for SMEs and MTCs

MEDINI, JOHOR: Japanese Conglomerate, the SANKYU Group is set to build its first Human Resources Training Centre outside of Japan in the Medini Central Business District, Iskandar Puteri, Johor. With over 30,000 employees globally and 41 overseas subsidiaries of the Sankyu Group, Medini will be among the global centres for diverse personnel worldwide, being trained in Malaysia. The centre is set to begin operations in 2022.

The groundbreaking ceremony held today in the Medini Central Business District (Medini CBD) was remotely officiated by the Mayor of Iskandar Puteri, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Haji Salehuddin Bin Haji Hassan; SANKYU Southeast Asia Holdings’ Managing Director, Mr Junichi Matsumura; Chairman of Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MIMSB), Yang Berbahagia Datuk Ir Khairil Anwar Ahmad, and Head of MIMSB, Tuan Haji Mohamad Zamani Razali.

The event was held via a video conferencing platform whereby only essential construction and operations staff were onsite as per the recent Movement Control Order (MCO) restrictions.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Company’s statement in August 2020 to build a logistics centre at the Straits of Malacca. The Centre situated in Port Klang will be the hub for shipments from Japan and East Asia transiting to the Middle East and Northern Europe.

“Malaysia continues to be a strategic hub in the region for SANKYU; this is evident in our continuous investments and developments of critical infrastructure in the country,” said Mr Junichi Matsumura.

Dato’ Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), the government’s lead agency in overseeing and driving investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia welcomed SANKYU’s latest undertaking. He said, “SANKYU’s training centre in Malaysia will be its first in South East Asia. Our country continues to be the strategic choice selection of multinationals in the region, given our dynamic transition into high-end services to support and flourish our diversified economy.”

“MIDA is optimistic that this training centre in Malaysia will bring positive economic benefits in terms of job creation, transfer of technology and know-hows through training. This will ultimately create new opportunities for local businesses and vendors. As partners to investors, MIDA will continue pushing for strategic collaborations between foreign and local companies to propel mutually beneficial outcomes, ensuring a sustainable ecosystem for business entities in the country, not only in the present but for the future.”

Globally, the SANKYU Group practices a unique business model that organically blends plant engineering, logistics and operational support; their integration of these interrelated components is unrivalled in the world. In Malaysia, SANKYU serves a broad cross-section of businesses and industrial customers, ranging from steel plants, petroleum refineries, automotive, power plants as well as electrical and electronics manufacturers.

Attending the groundbreaking ceremony today the Mayor of Iskandar Puteri, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Haji Salehuddin Bin Haji Hassan, conveyed: “We are pleased and excited with the groundbreaking today. It is the beginning of the many initiatives that are coming to fruition after years of perseverance by Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Iskandar Investment Berhad, the State government and its various agencies. The SANKYU Group has been a long-time investor in Malaysia since the 1960s with businesses all over Malaysia. Today we are proud and delighted to welcome SANKYU Group’s investment into Medini, Iskandar Puteri. We are sure that SANKYU Group will benefit from the state-of-the-art infrastructure and the network of business ecosystem readily available in Medini”.

The Medini CBD recently received recognition from the State government and the Chief Minister, Datuk Ir. Hasni Bin Mohammad as the Johor’s Hub for Digital Technology and Emerging Technologies. During the 2021 state budget tabling in November 2020, the CBD also obtained funds to accelerate its strategic hub’s development.

As a Digital and Emerging Technology Hub Medini CBD initiatives include a Blockchain Village and South East Asia’s first drone and robotics zone (DRZ Iskandar). Medini CBD hosts prominent companies in the games design industry. Among notable Japanese companies that have already set their footprint here to include OK Blockchain Centre, a subsidiary of OK Wave Group; Deluxe Games, and Okakichi. Their presence has created a demand for highly skilled workers both for local and foreigners, backed by the recent boost from the Johor State government to accelerate growth for the Medini CBD to welcome more companies to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

Head of MIMSB, Tuan Haji Mohamad Zamani Razali said, “The groundbreaking ceremony today marks an important milestone for Medini, as we continue to attract many prominent and reputable tenants. SANKYU is the first of many developments we have been working hard on under the Iskandar NEXT initiative which focuses on the new economy, experience and talent; in addition to the recent relocation of Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor Sdn. Bhd. (KPRJ) and Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN), we are optimistic for the future vision for the Medini CBD as a strategic hub for Johor and Malaysia.”

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About Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd

Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“MIM”) is the master planner and master developer of the 2,230- acre urban township Medini, located in the heart of Iskandar Puteri. A Central Business District of Iskandar Puteri, Medini offers incentives uniquely available to Medini. MIM welcomes investors who are seeking investment opportunities in a prime destination strategically located near Singapore.

Established in 2007, MIM is owned by Jasmine Acres Sdn Bhd (60%), United World Infrastructure (20%) and Mitsui & Co. Ltd (20%). MIM’s largest shareholder, Jasmine Acres, is jointly owned by Khazanah Nasional Berhad and Iskandar Investment Berhad.

For more information, visit www.medinicbd.com

About SANKYU

The Sankyu Group has established a unique business model organically blending plant engineering, logistics and operational support, which stands unrivalled in the world. The Sankyu Group provide total support to customers from the planning stage for new facility project through the design, construction, transportation of heavy loads and installation to the final test run. Furthermore, the Sankyu Group has created a reliable system, by which every aspect of a client’s logistical needs are met, including operational support, facility maintenance, procurement, material handling for production and sales of finished product.

About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

For media inquiries, please contact:

MR. AZLAN AKIL
Strategic Communications – Iskandar Investment Berhad
Email : [email protected]
Mobile No : 019-771 3189

MR. MUHAMED SHAFIQUE MOHAMED IQBAL
Strategic Marketing – Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Email : [email protected]
Mobile No : 019-334 7622

MS. WAHIDA ABDUL RAHMAN
Healthcare, Education & Hospitality Division, MIDA
Email : [email protected]
Mobile No : 03-2267 6622

Sankyu Continues Its Expansion in Malaysia: Japanese Conglomerate Sankyu Announces Its Sankyu Technical Academy to be based in Medini, Iskandar Puteri, Johor

Kuala Lumpur, 14 January 2021 – Volkswagen Group, one of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers based in Wolfsburg, Germany, has set up its new regional Parts Distribution Centre in Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia. The strategically located facility aims to provide a robust genuine parts supply chain to 21 markets in the Asia Pacific region.

With this larger facility of 50,000 square metres, the new regional Parts Distribution Centre can now store more parts than its predecessor and thus extend the range and depth for better parts availability. There are approximately 65,000 genuine parts of the Group’s brands of Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, ŠKODA, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), commented, “Volkswagen Group follows the increasing trend of the establishment of Global and Regional Distribution Hubs in Malaysia by companies in industries such as automotive, life sciences and medical devices, electrical and electronics, and machinery and equipment. These companies seek to tap on Malaysia’s strategic location as well as our efficient and reliable infrastructure such as ports, airports and financial institutions, allowing them to improve operational efficiency and optimise product and service quality and speed for their customers. Robust connectivity is paramount in enabling their investment and human capital to flow more freely across borders.”

Dr. Christian Dahlheim, Head of Volkswagen Group Sales, said: “The Asia Pacific Region offers a lot of growth potential for the Volkswagen Group, especially when it comes to e-mobility. Our electric product range already consists of very attractive models like the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 as well as the Audi e-tron that is fast growing. Apart from the vehicles, a strong After Sales performance is key for customer satisfaction. Malaysia offers a central and well-connected location which perfectly suits our plans to expand our foothold in the region.”

The new site offers improved distribution and process efficiency. Located in the free trade zone with direct port connectivity, the warehouse processing is enhanced by as much as 15 per cent. Moreover, the prime location is well linked to the air hubs and roads, enabling better hub-and-logistics flow and faster cargo turnaround.

The new facility is also customised to Volkswagen Group’s requirements, where storage systems like semi-automated paternoster and vertical narrow aisle are built for better warehouse space and process optimisation. In addition, value-added service is now offered to its customers, such as repacking and relabeling at retail level for the ease of dealer distribution.

“Our new Parts Distribution Centre in Malaysia undoubtedly strengthens Volkswagen Group’s global After Sales supply chain – a key milestone in providing improved genuine parts delivery to our customers in Asia Pacific,” said Mr. Roman Havlásek, Head of Group After Sales. “The Malaysian Government, through the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) greatly supported our relocation to Malaysia. We were pleased by the ease of implementing our project here and the assistance given by the team at MIDA.”

The strong fundament of the Parts Distribution Centre made it possible for Volkswagen Group to overcome the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic in the region so far. Mr. Marco Beitien, Director After Sales for the Volkswagen Group Regional Office in Asia Pacific, said “Despite the unprecedented COVID situation, the Malaysian Government swiftly implemented measures to enable business continuity within the safety of workers and community, which is also our top priority. This allows us to maintain stable parts supply in the region to support vehicles of the Volkswagen Group used in the essential industries like ambulances and security vehicles, even during the critical phase.”

Global supply chains have enabled many MNCs to oversee their operations in different parts of the world with ease, infusing efficiency into business operations.

The Global Trading Centre (GTC) scheme was announced in the Budget 2021, as part of Malaysia’s strategy to further encourage companies, both MNCs and local companies alike, to establish their global and regional distribution hubs. MIDA welcomes investments such as Volkswagen Group that strengthen the linkages within the local industry, create jobs for Malaysians and enhance Malaysia’s positioning as a Global Supply Chain Hub.

The GTC scheme is an enhanced, comprehensive scheme which provides a tax incentive and facilitation to ease import and export activities and aims to support companies in key manufacturing and services sectors venturing into procurement, distribution and trade activities to further strengthen their global supply chain.

Interested stakeholders may obtain more information by contacting the Business Services and Regional Operations Division at MIDA or visiting the MIDA website at www.mida.gov.my.

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About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

About Volkswagen Group

Based in Wolfsburg, Germany, the Volkswagen Group is one of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers, and the largest car maker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN. The passenger car portfolio ranges from small cars all the way to luxury-class vehicles. Ducati offers motorcycles. In the light and heavy commercial vehicles sector, the products range from pick-ups to buses and heavy trucks. Every weekday, 671,205 employees around the globe produce on average 44,567 vehicles, are involved in vehicle-related services or work in other areas of business. The Volkswagen Group sells its vehicles in 153 countries.

In 2019, the total number of vehicles delivered to customers by the Group globally was 10.97 million (2018: 10.83 million). The passenger car global market share was 12.9 percent. Group sales revenue in 2019 totalled EUR 252.6 billion (2018: EUR 236 billion). Earnings after tax in the fiscal year now ended amounted to EUR 14.0 billion (2018: EUR 12.2 billion).

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Rosedalina Ramlan
Director
Business Services and Regional Operations Division, MIDA
Email: [email protected] DL: +603 2267 3515

Mr. Christoph Oemisch
Volkswagen AG
Corporate Communications
Spokesperson Finance & Sales
Email: [email protected]

Volkswagen Group Strengthens Its Parts Supply in Asia Pacific through the New Regional Parts Distribution Centre in Malaysia

Chairman of MIDA receives a courtesy visit from Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany

Kuala Lumpur, 8 January 2021 – The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) kick-started the year 2021 with a courtesy visit from the newly appointed Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malaysia, His Excellency Dr. Peter Blomeyer.

Germany has been Malaysia’s largest foreign investor from the European Union. As of June 2020, a total of 461 manufacturing projects with German participation have been implemented with total investments of USD9.36 billion (RM33.31 billion). The projects have created 47,277 jobs.

Dato’ Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, Chairman of MIDA said that “His Excellency and I discussed a host of prolific issues that need attention for both countries to continue its goods-to-people mobility, despite the continuing pandemic concerns. The closely-linked business communities from both sides urgently need to commute with the acceptance of stringent SOPs in place. MIDA has been working tirelessly with the embassies and foreign chambers to ensure that investors are provided adequate assistance to the necessary approval and access to make well-informed investment and business decisions across various markets.”

At the meeting, His Excellency Dr. Peter Blomeyer highlighted that existing German companies operating here find Malaysia as an attractive hub in Asia Pacific. In addition, the German business communities also welcome the decision to exempt advertising requirement for positions namely investors, company owners, C-suites, expatriates for Regional Offices as well as for intra-company transfers.

His Excellency also wished to explore collaboration with local training institutions in boosting their training capabilities and facilities in human capital development by offering German Dual Vocational Training (GDVT) programmes in Malaysia.

Furthermore, His Excellency reiterated his team’s support for the business continuity of existing German companies as well as to encourage more German companies to expand their overseas operation as Malaysia is one of the most developed and matured manufacturing and related services countries in the region. This ecosystem provides a competitive advantage for the German companies’ to locate their projects in Malaysia.

Dato’ Abdul Majid also briefed on MIDA’s plans to organise a Trade and Investment Mission and working visit to Europe including Germany once the border controls are streamlined and opened for business travellers.

The Chairman of MIDA expressed the Government’s commitment to facilitate smooth business operations, including German investment in Malaysia. Strong commitment from both institutions is essential in attracting quality investments for high value-add, capital-intensive and knowledge-intensive projects.

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About MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

For more information, please contact:
Mr. Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid
Director, Foreign Investment Promotion Division, MIDA
Email: [email protected] | DL: +603 2267 6633

Malaysia Remains a Competitive Investment Location for German Companies

Kuala Lumpur, 12 January 2021 – Following the Movement Control Order (MCO) announced by YAB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Prime Minister of Malaysia effective 13 January 2021 to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) will continue its operations with reduced headcount at MIDA Sentral, to assist businesses in their operations.

In prioritising all staff’s safety while also minimising disruptions to services and operations of businesses, MIDA officials will be working from home on a rotation basis. Stakeholders are encouraged to leverage on various technology tools available for remote communications or virtual meetings such as video conferencing and conference calls.

Online engagement for business enquiries can be arranged through https://appointment.mida.gov.my/appointment/ where else general enquiries may be submitted at https://investmalaysia.mida.gov.my/eTRANS_TH/LoginCS.aspx. MIDA officials, particularly the Directors and Deputy Directors, can also be easily contacted through their respective emails at https://www.mida.gov.my/contact-us/.

Delivery of documents by mail or courier service is encouraged to reduce physical contact at MIDA.

For further updates, please visit www.mida.gov.my or follow MIDA on social media platforms, namely Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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ABOUT MIDA

MIDA is the government’s principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era.

For more information, please contact:
Ms Manjit Kaur
Director, Corporate Communications Division, MIDA
Tel.: 03-2267 3509 | Email: [email protected]

MIDA to Continue Facilitating Investors and Businesses during Movement Control Order (MCO)

Indian Entrepreneurs Urged to Leverage on Programmes & Facilities Provided by the Government

22 January 2018, Kuala Lumpur – “Notwithstanding our presence of more than 50 years in charting the industrial development of the country, there is still a lack of awareness on MIDA’s function in assisting and facilitating domestic companies as well as SMEs, especially among the Indian businessmen. Through today’s engagement, we hope to deepen our engagement with the Indian business community, which forms an integral part of local companies in the country,” said YBhg. Datuk N. Rajendran, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO) of MIDA during the exclusive media session with the Indian press held today.

“The Government has long recognised the capabilities and prospects of local companies in driving the economic growth of the country. For the first nine months of 2017, Malaysia recorded a total of RM113.5 billion worth of approved investments from 3,886 projects in the manufacturing, services and primary sectors. More than 73.5% of the approved investments were from local sources. Thus, we would like to urge more local companies, including those owned/managed by Indian entrepreneurs to come on board by leveraging on the programmes and facilities provided by the Government. Among them include the Domestic Investment Strategic Fund (DISF) that aims to accelerate the shift of Malaysian-owned companies in targeted industries to high value-added, high technology, knowledge-intensive and innovation-based industries. As at December 2017, a total of 270 projects with investments amounting to RM13 billion have been approved grants totaling RM1.3 billion under this fund,” added Datuk N. Rajendran.

The DCEO of MIDA also commented that Indian entrepreneurs should align their operations with Industry 4.0 by adopting automation and smart manufacturing that will increase productivity and competitiveness as well as reduce dependency on foreign labour. “Throughout 2017, MIDA organised several programmes to create awareness on the Industry 4.0. We will continue to undertake such programmes this year to disseminate information on available facilities to assist local companies in undertaking this venture such as the Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) for automation expenditure. For ACA, a total of 71 applications for automated spending allowance incentives have been approved until October 2017.”

MIDA has also established a dedicated SME Investment Desk in its headquarters and all its state offices throughout Malaysia. Malaysian businesses and SMEs should take advantage on this single contact point in MIDA HQ and all its State Offices, to obtain guidance and advice on the Government’s initiatives and facilities in building sustainable business collaborations through supply chain development on the local, regional and global levels.

More than 15 media representatives attended the exclusive media session from various Indian publication companies and online newspapers. The programme is part of MIDA’s continuous efforts to update the Indian entrepreneurs especially on the latest policies and facilities that are available. They are encouraged to follow MIDA’s official website and social media for the latest announcements and updates of facilitation and programmes related to business opportunities at www.mida.gov.my or @OfficialMIDA on Facebook and /OfficialMIDA on Twitter.

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For more information, please contact:

Mr. Ahmad Tajudin Omar

Director, Domestic Investment Division, MIDA

Tel.: 03-2267 3627 | Email: [email protected]

Mr. Sashirao Appanah

Assistant Director, Domestic Investment Division, MIDA

Tel.: 03-2267 3664 | Email: [email protected]

Download:

DISC Presentation_22Jan2018

Posted on : 22 January 2018

MIDA Deepens Its Engagement With The Indian Business Community

Kedah is one of the oldest states in Malaysia and has captivating history behind it. In fact, there is more to this ‘Rice Bowl State’ than just paddy fields. In term of investments, there are 1,142 manufacturing projects implemented in Kedah with total investments of RM51.28 billion as at December 2016. These projects have created over 150,000 job opportunities for the state.

Over 150,000 Jobs Created from 1,142 Manufacturing Projects Implemented in Kedah

The Seminar on the New Era of Manufacturing for Furniture & Wood-Based Industry by Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) held on 23 January 2019 in Kota Kinabalu received encouraging interest from industry players. The immediate response came from three companies based in Peninsular Malaysia that would like to leverage resources available in Sabah and expand their business operations in the State. To facilitate these companies’ interests, MIDA arranged discussions with Yayasan Sabah, POIC Lahad Datu and Sabah Softwood Berhad towards strategic collaborations

25 January 2019, Kuala Lumpur – The Seminar on the New Era of Manufacturing for Furniture & Wood-Based Industry by Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) held on 23 January 2019 in Kota Kinabalu received encouraging interest from industry players. The immediate response came from three companies based in Peninsular Malaysia that would like to leverage resources available in Sabah and expand their business operations in the State. To facilitate these companies’ interests, MIDA arranged discussions with Yayasan Sabah, POIC Lahad Datu and Sabah Softwood Berhad towards strategic collaborations.

The event, which focused on automation and smart manufacturing to promote the adoption of industry 4.0 among the wood-based industry players, was officiated by Datuk Madiyem Layapan, Permanent Secretary of Sabah Ministry of Trade & Industry. It attracted nearly 150 participants including those from outside of Sabah and featured presentations by Department of Industrial Development & Research (DIDR), Sabah State Forestry Department, ABB Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB). They shared on the current status of the infrastructure and the availability of resources in Sabah as well as product innovation and potential in downstream activities.

Datuk N. Rajendran, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of MIDA during his welcoming remarks said, “With abundant natural resources, Sabah is poised for more investments in the wood and wood-based industry. The recent announcement made by Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Mohd Shafie Bin Haji Apdal to make Sandakan as a furniture centre in Sabah is certainly a step in the right direction for the State. MIDA acknowledges the importance that furniture and wood-based industry plays as one of the key industries to be developed in the State.”

As at September 2018, a total of 2,919 projects on furniture and wood-based products projects have been approved by MIDA with investment worth RM33.02 billion. Majority of these investment or 67% (RM22.14 billion) were from domestic sources, while the rest (33% or RM10.88 billion) were from foreign investments. For Sabah, MIDA has approved a total of 466 furniture and wood-based projects with total investments of RM5.36 billion.

One of the participants, Mr. Jason Lee, Manager of Forest Avenue International Sdn Bhd said, “Going downstream has proven to be very profitable for West Malaysia. In Sabah’s perspective, this direction can never be wrong. The future of Sabahans depends on their willingness to move out of their comfort zone and be ready to embrace the real world market.”

According to Mr. Tan Peng Juan, Chairman of Sabah Timber Industries Association (STIA), “To address on the issue of export ban of logs, STIA has suggested on establishment of a working committee that consist of Sabah-based industry representatives and Government agencies. The aim is to assist the government in facilitating the new forestry policy, to ensure that the correct form of investment is brought into Sabah, and to monitor the progress of industrial development. It is essential for the state government to have a permanent collaboration with industry players to ensure that there is a consistency in short-, mid- and long-term plans under the new forestry masterplan. STIA also insisted that Sabah state government should give clear direction on the permanent ban of export of timber logs from Sabah.”

Due to the good feedback received, MIDA will continue to organise similar engagements in Sabah to promote more investments in the wood-based industry. It will feature bankers to facilitate financial assistance.

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For more information, please contact:

Mr. Mohd Rasli Muda

Director, Food Technology & Resource-Based, MIDA

Tel.: 03-2267 3643| Email: [email protected]

More Investors Expressed Interest in Sabah’s Furniture And Wood-Based Industry