KOTA BHARU, March 14 (Bernama) -- ROHM-Wako Electronics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (RWEM), a major Japanese electronics maker, announced on 12 March 2022 that it is expanding its electronic components facility in Kelantan with a total investment of RM910 million. This investment is expected to create high-skilled jobs for over 340 Malaysians. It is the single biggest investment ever made by the company which uniquely positions Malaysia as a key hub for the semiconductor and automotive global value chains. 

YB. Dato’ Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, Senior Minister and Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI), in response to the announcement said, “It is noteworthy that the establishment of the manufacturing facility in Malaysia is a strategic decision by RohmWako Electronics to build long-term presence in the ASEAN region. Indeed, this vital expansion signifies the company’s confidence in the capability of our local talent of highly skilled engineers and technicians. The investment performance of ROHM-Wako Electronics in Malaysia is most encouraging, with this new manufacturing facility generating employment opportunities for local talent, contributing to the economic upliftment of the community as well as boosting commercial development in the state. This expansion project is in line with the National Investment Aspirations (NIA) to make Malaysia a strategic investment hub.” 

Echoing the Senior Minister, Datuk Arham Abdul Rahman, the Chief Executive Director (CEO) of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) remarked: “MIDA looks forward to welcoming other potential partners to leverage Malaysia's capability as a supply chain hub to serve the industrial needs of the global market. The company’s expansion is poised to strengthen the country’s position in the global value chains. It is also expected to promote high-skilled jobs and ensure that Malaysia’s industries remain resilient and competitive.” 

“The expansion is vital for our company’s continuous business and innovation growth, and with the Malaysian plant having skilled and reliable workforce, we are confident that we have made the right decision to continue investing in this country.” said RWEM President, Mr. Hideki Hashimoto.

The new building, which will be constructed within the RWEM premise, will serve the purpose of responding to the strong demand for semiconductors and promoting multi-site production system of analog Large-Scale Integrations (LSIs) and transistors in line with the Business Continuity Management (BCM). The construction of the new building will ultimately increase the overall production capacity by approximately 1.5 times. 

The construction of the new facility, which is expected to have a 3-story building with a total floor area of 29,580 square meters, is envisaged to begin in Q1 2022 and be completed in August 2023. The new building will be equipped with various energy-saving technologies to reduce the environmental impact, expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 15%. This will eventually strengthen the BCM system by adopting various disaster-proof measures with up-to-date technologies.  

The expansion will provide capacity for additional component of Wide Line Transistor and Gate Driver Integrated Circuit, mainly used for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid cars. These components will also apply to the company’s existing production of discrete semiconductors such as diodes, light emitting diodes and laser diodes used in a wide arrange of electronic consumer products such as audio and video, TVs, laptops as well as mobile phones. This is in line with Malaysia’s National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2020 which focuses on the development of new technologies in future mobility areas. 

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. 

About ROHM CO. LTD.
ROHM Co., Ltd. engages in the design and manufacture of integrated circuits and other electronic components. It operates through the following segments: LSI Integrated Circuits, Discrete Semiconductor Devices, Module and Others. The LSI Integrated Circuits segment includes analog ICs, logic ICs, memory ICs, ASICs, and foundry business operations. The Discrete Semiconductor Devices segment covers diodes, transistors, light-emitting diodes, and laser diodes. The Module segment produces power modules that include print head and optical modules. The Others segment deals with resistors, tantalum capacitors, power modules, and lighting products. It also develops large scale integrated (LSI) scanner engines designed specifically for cordless hand-held scanners. The company was founded by Kenichiro Sato in December 1954 and is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. For more information, please visit http://www.rohm.co.jp 

SOURCE: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: 
MIDA
Name: Azlina Hamdan (Ms.)
Director, E&E Division, MIDA
Tel: +603-2267 3791
Email: azlina@mida.gov.my 

ROHM -Wako Electronics (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Name:
1. Tan Shee Nee (Ms.)
2. Kang In Wei (Ms.)
Tel: +6017979 5303
Email: ga@adm.rohmmalay.com

--BERNAMA