PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reiterated Malaysia’s commitment to closely monitoring ongoing developments related to the United States’ tariff measures, despite the country’s semiconductor sector remaining, for now, largely unaffected.
In a statement following the second 2025 meeting of the National Investment Council (MPN), which he chaired, Anwar emphasised that the government was taking proactive steps to bolster Malaysia’s competitiveness in the global semiconductor landscape.
“Although the semiconductor industry is not directly impacted by the current tariff situation, we are keeping a close watch on developments,” said Anwar in a post shared on his official Facebook page.
“The government is committed to ensuring that our semiconductor sector remains resilient and competitive.”
National Strategy in Focus
A key agenda item during the MPN meeting was the financing framework for Malaysia’s National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), an ambitious plan aimed at closing the funding gap for local firms operating across the semiconductor value chain.
“The National Investment Council today discussed the financing of the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), which is crucial for addressing the funding gap for local companies,” Anwar explained.
He said the strategy aims to support “horizontal integration of high-tech industry projects that align with the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030 and the NSS.”
The NSS, launched to position Malaysia as a regional leader in semiconductor innovation and manufacturing, is central to the country's broader economic and industrial transformation agenda.
It complements the goals of NIMP 2030, which prioritises high-value, technologically advanced sectors as key drivers of growth.
Driving Industrial Reform
In addition to the NSS, the MPN meeting also reviewed progress on the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (KIGIP), a flagship industrial development in northern Perak designed to attract green and high-tech investments.
Anwar stressed the importance of continuing with comprehensive reforms to ensure Malaysia remains competitive in a rapidly evolving global economic environment.
“The country’s economic reform agenda must continue, including industrial reforms involving the development of the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park,” he said.
Malaysia’s strategic pivot towards high-tech manufacturing and green industry forms part of a broader vision to future-proof its economy, enhance supply chain resilience, and reduce reliance on traditional low-value sectors.
As global trade tensions simmer—particularly with the United States imposing new rounds of reciprocal tariffs, albeit with a temporary 90-day reprieve—Malaysia’s leaders are focusing on internal preparedness and resilience.
The prime minister’s comments reaffirm Malaysia’s stance of openness to global trade, while taking firm steps to protect its strategic industries and leverage new economic opportunities in an increasingly volatile geopolitical climate. – April 10, 2025
