By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, July 9 — The establishment of the Selangor Integrated Circuit (IC) Design Park will create various positive impacts, including mitigating the issue of brain drain and attracting skilled Malaysians abroad back home to add value to the local semiconductor industry.
State executive councillor for trade, investment and mobility Ng Sze Han said this is because the park aims to create high-impact jobs in line with the national strategy of shifting the focus from back-end processes like packaging and testing to upstream processes, which involve IC design and innovation.
“He said by doing this, Malaysia aims to develop local expertise and innovation, reduce reliance on foreign technology and increase domestic value-added.
“For local semiconductor players, this means greater opportunities to engage in high-value design work, access to the latest technology and tools and collaboration with global and local technology leaders such as CMSC, Inc., MaiStorage, SkyeChip Sdn Bhd and the Shenzhen Semiconductor Industry Association.
“This environment is expected to nurture local talent and companies capable of competing globally, ultimately positioning Malaysia as a leader in the semiconductor industry.
“Furthermore, this industry, which offers high salaries, is expected to help mitigate the issue of brain drain. The state government aims to attract more local talents who have migrated abroad to return and jointly develop the semiconductor industry.” he said during a question and answer session in the Selangor Legislative Assembly today.
He was responding to Balakong assemblyman Ong Chun Wei who asked the government to detail the positive economic impact of the IC Design Park’s establishment.
Ng said the state will also reap various other benefits from the park, including attracting high-value investments from major semiconductor companies and international venture capital firms.
“This includes opportunities to set up processing plants in Selangor,” he said.
“Additionally, indirect returns on investment include the creation of high-income job opportunities and local economic development, such as in the food and beverage, housing and transportation industries.”
