Wong (left) presenting a token of appreciation to Chow (right) as Ahmad Fuzi looks on. — LIM BENG TATT/ The Star
FOR many years, Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) president Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai used to be asked by foreign customers and suppliers how the industry started in Penang.
“There were many versions of the story, so I decided to get the ‘real story’ behind this industrial transformation.
“That was when the idea for a documentary film was born, to capture the essence of Penang’s incredible journey towards becoming a leading semiconductor hub.”
Wong said this at the launch and documentary premiere of Against All Odds – The Rise of Silicon Penang at Seri Mutiara, the official residence of Penang Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak.
Wong said the making of the documentary was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 40-minute documentary encapsulates Penang’s remarkable transformation into a global semiconductor powerhouse.
At the event, Wong shared how the then Penang chief minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu had been worried about the state’s 15% unemployment rate after the state lost its free port status in 1969.
“The late Tun worked tirelessly to attract foreign investors to Penang with the establishment of the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in 1972,” said Wong.
He said one of the turning points in 1972 was the arrival of the “Eight Samurais” – a group of pioneering multinational companies which set up manufacturing plants at the newly established FTZ.
They were AMD, HP (now known as Keysight Technologies, after it split into Agilent and Broadcom), Clarion, Hitachi (now known as Renesas Semiconductor), Intel, Litronix (now known as Osram), National Semiconductor (later known as Fairchild) and Robert Bosch.
Wong said the documentary, made by Image Farm Productions, captured the spirit of resilience, vision and innovation that turned Penang into what it is today.
“What began as a bold vision decades ago has now become a global success story,” he said.
Image Farm producer and director Loo Shun Ming said producing the documentary was a complex journey, much like a manufacturing plant, where every intricate process from researching and shooting to editing, music and colour grading came together to create a powerful final product.
“After Covid-19 struck, we took time to recover. Today, against all odds, we have managed to bring this important story to you.
“My team members and I learned to weave insights into Penang’s electronics and electrical industry into our storytelling to enable us to tell this story with authenticity and passion,” she said.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said in his speech that the recent imposition of a 25% tariff by US president Donald Trump on semiconductor imports presented both challenges and opportunities for Penang.
He urged the Federal Government, in Malaysia’s capacity as Asean chair, to lead regional efforts in strengthening Asean-wide cooperation to counterbalance the effects of these tariffs.
“One way of doing it is by speeding up the US-Asean Summit.
“This would enable Malaysia and other Asean member countries to conduct dialogues and engagements with the US to enhance trade facilitation, reduce trade barriers and attract supply chain diversification from global semiconductor firms.
“Strengthening Asean’s regional semiconductor ecosystem will not only help mitigate the risks posed by tariff uncertainties but also reinforce Penang’s position as a prime destination for high-value foreign direct investments,” he said.
Chow also said that Penang, with its robust semiconductor industry and strategic location, was well-positioned to capitalise on the ‘China+1’ and ‘US+1’ strategies as companies seek to diversify their supply chains beyond China and the US.
Also present were former chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong, Dr Lim’s son Lim Chien Cheng, MSIA board members and representatives from various government and state agencies.
