KUALA LUMPUR: Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz will unveil further details about the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) tomorrow.
When met after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s announcement today, Tengku Zafrul said the details will include the allocation of RM25 billion in fiscal support to operationalise the NSS, research and development (R&D), and talent creation.
The minister said engineers are in high demand from various industries, not just semiconductors, and are outstripping supply.
He said the government is committed to working with industry players and universities to nurture more skilled talent.
Earlier, the Prime Minister announced that the nation will develop a global R&D hub for semiconductors under the NSS, which will feature world-class universities, corporates, and centres of excellence.
Anwar said 60,000 high-skilled Malaysian engineers will be trained and upskilled to support the sector’s growing demand.
“(The creation of 60,000 engineers) would be over five to 10 years depending on which incentives that we are looking at,” he told reporters on the sideline of SEMICON Southeast Asia 2024 today.
The Prime Minister said the nation set to woo at least RM500 billion of investments in the first phase of the NSS.
The nation is keen to establish at least 10 Malaysian companies in design and advanced packaging with revenues of between RM1 billion and RM 4.7 billion (US$210 million and US$1 billion).
It also hoped to nurture at least 100 semiconductor-related companies with revenues close to RM1 billion (US$210 million), creating higher wages for Malaysian workers.
