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Intel Corporation, one of the world’s largest chip manufacturers has announced its investment of more than RM30 billion for its Malaysia facility. This investment underscores the long-term strategic association of a 50-year heritage of manufacturing excellence with Malaysia. The additional investment will help expand Intel Malaysia’s operations across Penang and Kulim.

This major investment, through Intel’s subsidiary, Intel Electronics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., augurs well with Malaysia’s National Investment Aspirations (NIA), which looks to ensure Malaysia stays at the forefront as a global hub for quality investments while creating high-value jobs. This latest investment bolsters Malaysia’s role as a prominent site in Intel’s global manufacturing network. This new investment is expected to create over 4,000 Intel jobs as well as over 5,000 construction jobs for Malaysians.

The expansion of Intel’s assembly test manufacturing, while also building out die prep capability with the addition of advanced packaging capabilities to Intel’s operation in Malaysia will help ignite growth of the high-tech ecosystem in the region. This investment is impactful not just in terms of enabling us to scale up on the volume of production but also in terms of moving up the value chain of technology transfer and capacity building. In this regard, the recent inking of the MoU between Intel and MIDA will facilitate the cultivation of a thriving tech talent ecosystem and prepare Malaysia’s workforce for an increasingly digital and AI world. This undertaking is indeed timely given the bullish global demand driven by the chip shortages and the potential challenges arising from the recovery of the pandemic globally.

These developments encapsulate the long-term benefits and spin-offs arising from this new paradigm of foreign investment which goes hand-in-hand with our NIA to create technologically advanced and high impact human resource capabilities commensurate with demands of the modern economy.

In the 12th Malaysia Plan, the Electrical and Electronics (E&E) industry has been identified as among the high impact industries that are key to realign Malaysia’s growth in a sustainable trajectory while strengthening the nation’s position in the global supply chain. The Government aims for the E&E industry to move up the value chain through stronger adoption of advanced technologies which fits well into global Intel’s overall growth strategy.

Malaysia will continue to advocate a holistic policy of robust and sustainable growth to ensure developments in fostering green technology, digital economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In the first half 2021, the E&E sector recorded RM47.1 billion in approved investments, a significant surge from RM5.0 billion from the corresponding period in 2020. Foreign investments led the approved investments in the industry, making up nearly 98% or RM46.0 billion. These approved projects are anticipated to generate over 9,700 new employments, including skilled positions for engineers, specialised quality controllers and highly skilled technicians.

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