Malaysia fast-tracks chip design via Arm IP – Akmal Nasrullah
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is accelerating semiconductor design cycles by leveraging Arm Ltd’s intellectual property (IP), building on its 50-year manufacturing base to shorten development timelines and expand homegrown IP capabilities.
Malaysia is accelerating its semiconductor design cycles by leveraging Arm Ltd's intellectual property (IP), aiming to shorten development timelines and broaden domestic IP capabilities. Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir highlighted Malaysia's existing strengths in backend manufacturing and talent, pointing to decades of expertise in testing, equipment, and packaging. By collaborating with Arm for access to IP design, local design parks have produced six market-ready chip innovations in just two years.
During the launch of six homegrown chips at the Selangor AI & Semiconductor Summit (AiSEM) 2026, Nasir announced an estimated combined sales potential of RM300 million, marking a shift from "Made in Malaysia" to "Made by Malaysia." The federal and state semiconductor hubs are intended to complement each other, forming a unified national ecosystem.
Concerns about investment overlaps between federal initiatives and individual state projects, such as in Sarawak and Selangor, were dismissed, with Nasir emphasizing that each state contributes unique value chain advantages.
Nasir stated that Malaysia aims to elevate the skilled worker percentage to 35% under the Thirteenth Malaysia Plan (13MP) by expanding high-growth, high-value sectors. Currently, the skilled workforce stands at around 31%, but this target is set to rise under the 13MP.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
