Malaysia will open a second chip design park, says PM Anwar at LSE conference; the Madani economy framework is showing results

During his speech at the London School of Economics (LSE) today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim underlined the success of the 2023-announced Madani Economy Framework.

In order to leverage the nation’s semiconductor supply chain, he also said the government is planning to open a second chip design park.

Anwar, the minister of finance as well, said it is most definitely not the time to celebrate transient successes.

He added that Malaysia’s growing involvement in the semiconductor sector demonstrates its forward-thinking attitude.

“Recently, we introduced our national semiconductor strategy, which marks investment and incentives meant to make Malaysia indispensable to the worldwide semiconductor supply chain.

With a deliberate concentration on front-end operations, Malaysia, now the sixth biggest supplier of semiconductors worldwide, is now striving to go higher up the value chain.

And we are going right now. Less than a year after our first, we will open our second chip design park in the next weeks,” he said during his lecture, The Adaptive Edge: Malaysia’s Global Strategy in an Uncertain Era,” which drew around 500 students.

Malaysia opened its first chip design park in Puchong, Selangor, in 2024.

While advocating initiatives to investigate the many opportunities in cryptocurrencies, the prime minister of ASEAN noted Malaysia is among the main movers in the field of data centers and artificial intelligence (AI).

“We are also trying to do this sustainably. By 2025, Malaysia aims to replace current conventional power generation with renewable energy, accounting for 70% of its entire generating capacity.

“In the end, as an international trading nation, the crosswinds of uncertainty call for a fresh will to stay adaptive and ambitious without neglecting the paramount pursuit of sustainable, inclusive, and just development,” he added.

Anwar underlined that Malaysia responds to this appeal as the country aims to become a major hub of commerce and investment as well as a technical center in an erratic environment.

Anwar said Malaysia came to make the strategic choice to join BRICS out of a forward-looking, comprehensive perspective.

“It is not about Malaysia leaning one way, as some of the commentators would have it. It is about a clear-sighted awareness of the geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts occurring around us and extending our possibilities, he underlined.