KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 (Bernama) -- The spread of the COVID-19 virus has impacted almost all industries globally. The electrical and electronics (E&E) sector is no exception with many organisations not being able to operate at full capacity due to workforce and supply chain disruptions.

Nevertheless, with containment measures likely easing in the second half of 2020, the local economic activity is expected to pick up and gradually improve, more so if the domestic movement control order (MCO) is lifted. The E&E industry has been identified as a key sector that will assume a critical role in structural reforms as the economy moves towards the recovery and regrowth stage, with the Malaysian government emphasising on digital transformation. 

SEMI Southeast Asia believes that the Malaysian E&E landscape will remain robust in the coming months, supported by the immense opportunities offered by the industry, especially with the rise in remote working, virtual learning and e-commerce. These insights were shared during a webinar hosted by SEMI Southeast Asia, featuring Dato' Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Mr Francis Tan, Investment Strategist of United Overseas Bank and Mr Paul Boudre, Chief Executive Officer of SOITEC.

According to Bee Bee Ng, President of SEMI Southeast Asia, “The global semiconductor market has shown early signs of resilience to the economic turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of this strength comes from the nature of the industry itself, which is present and plays a role in growing other vital sectors such as healthcare, automotive and retail. We foresee the E&E landscape in Malaysia stabilising in the coming months, on the back of demand for smart manufacturing capabilities, automation and technological innovations.”

“Malaysia remains competitive amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Our diversified economic structure and continuous support from the Government in balancing public health and the livelihood of the people, underpin the growth momentum of the country’s industrial capacity. To sustain our competitive advantages, the need to transform the Malaysian economy via digital empowerment is no longer an option. Digitalisation is crucial to future-proof our businesses. Towards this goal, MIDA has taken a proactive step to embrace an innovative initiative by introducing Malaysia’s Lighthouse Project, a concept of modelling companies that have embraced digital manufacturing and globalisation 4.0 in their business model and their entire supply chain. Malaysia is moving ahead as one of the top global manufacturing nations through the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. We are also hard at work in assisting existing companies from various industrial sectors, including the E&E industry to transform and emerge as lighthouses. We look forward to having more E&E companies enhancing their operations in Malaysia, especially those that are well engaged in lighthouse operations in growing their business journey in the country. Companies should tap on Malaysia’s strong fundamentals which includes the E&E infrastructure and business ecosystem developed over the last 50 years,” said Dato' Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA).

Given this positive outlook for the industry, SEMI Southeast Asia will be organising a virtual SEMICON Southeast Asia 2020 which will run from 20-23 July 2020 at SEMICON West 2020 with industry leaders and subject matter experts discussing the latest trends, developments and innovations at the Southeast Asia Pavilion. The online event will continue from 10-21 August 2020, with in-depth technical webinars focusing on trending topics such as sustainable manufacturing and advanced packaging. SEMI has always been MIDA’s strategic partner not only in conducting the SEMICON Southeast Asia since 2015 but more importantly to build connections that assist companies, particularly in the E&E industry to address challenges and create new markets for sustainable growth.

Beyond a tradeshow, SEMICON Southeast Asia connect industry players, industry experts, SMEs, private-and-public partners as well as engineering graduates, and expounds the important need to collaborate in this growing industry.

“Migrating SEMICON Southeast Asia 2020 to a virtual platform is part of our commitment to the health and safety of our members, exhibitors, guests and employees. Even during these unprecedented times, connecting industry players, especially SMEs, remains important, as we focus on staying adaptive and creative to ride through the fluid landscape. The sessions planned during the virtual tradeshow, such as the online business matching programme, will expound this priority, to ensure the industry seizes the innovation and growth opportunities vital to its growth,” Ng concluded.

For more details, please visit the SEMICON Southeast Asia website and connect with SEMI Southeast Asia on Facebook or LinkedIn

About SEMI
SEMI® connects more than 2,100 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics design and manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Association Partners, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Visit www.semi.org to learn more, contact one of our worldwide offices, and connect with SEMI on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Reshvinder Kaur
Tel: +60-17-275-7985
Email: resh.kaur@acendus.com.my

--BERNAMA