Malaysia trains 21,391 semiconductor talents by June 2026
Training supports a government target of 60,000 highly skilled semiconductor workers by 2030, alongside efforts to expand local chip design capabilities.
Malaysia had trained 21,391 people for its semiconductor sector by June 2026 through programmes delivered by technical training providers and higher education institutions, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) said.
In its Oct 6 written parliamentary response, MITI said the training contributed towards the government’s goal of developing 60,000 highly skilled semiconductor workers by 2030 under the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS). The ministry described workforce development as necessary for Malaysia to undertake semiconductor activities of higher value.
MITI said the strategy aims to give Malaysia ownership of technology, expertise and intellectual property (IP), rather than serving only as a manufacturing location. Talent programmes also seek to match industry requirements, improve employment prospects for graduates and support local companies in developing their own IP.
Other government measures include the 10+100 local champions programme, an ecosystem for integrated circuit (IC) design and the Malaysia Advanced Packaging Consortium (MAPC). According to MITI, stronger IC design skills would help Malaysian companies create proprietary chips and become less dependent on overseas technology and designs.
The response followed a question by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (PN-Kemaman) about plans to improve Malaysia’s semiconductor supply-chain capabilities and self-reliance, covering chip design, IP ownership, equipment and local technology companies.
