KUALA LUMPUR: The National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) has secured more than RM85 billion in approved investments as of December 2025, said Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Sim Tze Tzin.
The NSS has developed 18,062 highly skilled talents towards its target of producing 60,000 workers to support the growth of the semiconductor and artificial intelligence (AI) industries, he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Sim said 32 factories had been identified as smart factories under the Smart Tech Up programme. At the same time, 42 companies had been recognised as smart factories under the Smart Factory Recognition Programme as of May 31, 2026.
He said the recognition is awarded to manufacturing companies, including those in the automotive sector, that have integrated Industry 4.0 technologies and automation into their operations.
"A total of 74 companies had received smart factory recognition as of May 31, 2026, while a further 60 companies are expected to achieve the status by the end of 2026, bringing the total number of recognised smart factories to 134 by December 2026," said Sim.
He was responding to a question from Azli Yusof (PH-Shah Alam) about the latest developments and achievements of the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), including the amount of investment realised compared with that approved since its launch in September 2023.
Sim also said 35 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and mid-tier companies (MTCs) had benefited from the NIMP Strategic Co-Investment Fund (NIMP CoSIF), with total capital injections amounting to RM63.2 million as of April 30, 2026.
The companies operate in various sectors, including electrical and electronics (E&E), chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food processing, and information and communications technology (ICT).
On investments, Sim said 3,847 manufacturing investment projects worth RM427.9 billion were approved between September 2023 and March 2026, with the potential to create 302,058 new jobs.
The investments cover the E&E, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, chemicals and metal products sectors, which are among the strategic industries under NIMP 2030.
"Of the total 2,688 projects, or 69.9 per cent, representing approved investments worth RM318.5 billion, had been realised between 2023 and December 2025," he said.
Sim said 28 per cent of the approved investments were in the early stages of implementation, involving 1,076 projects worth RM101.1 billion.
He said these projects are actively progressing through key implementation stages, including site planning, submission of building plans, business registration processes and the early phases of facility construction.
"This means that if we combine the projects already realised with those currently under implementation, the overall investment commitment stands at a very high 97.9 per cent of all approved projects.
"In contrast, only a small proportion, or 2.2 per cent comprising 83 investment projects, remain unimplemented or have yet to commence, mainly due to external factors such as changes in the investors' global business strategies," he said in response to Azli's supplementary question. - Bernama
