Malaysia Can Boost Semicon Industry To Empower Agro Innovation — Liew Chin Tong
KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia could leverage and strengthen its semiconductor industry to empower innovation in the agriculture sector, particularly in ensuring food security, said Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong.
He emphasised that Malaysia has the upper hand over many countries - a robust semiconductor capability which could be utilised to create more horizontal integration across multiple industries.
“Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world are worried about food security, so we need to think about how to use technology in the food and agriculture sector and linking it to who we serve.
“Previously, we always think about serving just the United States market, but now we have to think about creating food through technology to help the world to solve the food security problem,” he told the media after participating in the special session titled Enhancing ASEAN-GCC China Investments at the ASEAN-GCC Economic Forum 2025 here today.
Additionally, he said that if Malaysia could be a technology powerhouse, the country could help the least developed countries to deal with technology such as for agriculture and the automotive industry, among others.
“We may not have the top technology, but if we can create some (technology), it may help countries like Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh and the African continent — thinking along those lines, hence Malaysia is in a very interesting and unique position,” he said.
Liew said Malaysia is currently engaged in an in-depth discussion with Brazil, as the country has expressed strong interest in Malaysia’s semiconductor industry and is keen to explore potential collaboration.
“Many of the foreign companies in Penang are now investing in India, so, India wants to work with us because of our semiconductor capability and that we have the ecosystem.
“We hope we can create a lot more technology through what we have and ultimately see ourselves as a trading and technology nation,” he said.
Commenting on the special session with Deputy Minister of International Relations at Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment, Sara Al Sayed, China Energy Engineering Corporation chairman Song Hai Liang and Maybank president and group chief executive officer Datuk Khairussaleh Ramli, Liew said that the world is now dealing with a multipolar supply chain, and no longer a unipolar supply chain underpinned by geopolitics.
“The world has changed and we need a different mindset. And in this context, bringing together ASEAN, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and China is a brilliant move.
“What we hope is to see a lot more potential collaboration among these blocks, complementing each other's technology and development,” he added.
— BERNAMA