PETALING JAYA: Last month's SME-MNC Connect Day 2026 event successfully opened direct engagement between local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and multinational corporations (MNCs) in the semiconductor industry.
Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) president Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai (pic) said seven companies have already established direct communication links with MNCs.
"They now have a better understanding of what the MNCs require and are able to align their current capabilities and capacities with industry expectations to see whether they can meet the requirements," he said in a statement on Friday (May 15).
Wong added that participating SMEs had also expressed their interest to collaborate with the MNCs involved.
He said platforms such as this were important as local companies often found it difficult to gain direct access to multinational players.
"We hope to sustain this momentum to help MNCs localise more of their supply chains and create greater opportunities for local industry players," he said.
Wong noted that the government was aware that many MNCs were already moving towards localisation efforts, creating more opportunities for Malaysian companies.
He added that MSIA was looking at organising a similar programme in Penang in September to provide more opportunities for local firms to engage with MNCs and better understand industry requirements.
Organised by MSIA and held in Kuala Lumpur on April 28, the event was a strategic platform aimed at strengthening collaboration between Malaysian SMEs and MNCs within the semiconductor ecosystem.
With the theme "Grow Local, Compete Global", the programme saw the participation of leading global semiconductor companies such as Micron, Intel, Infineon, Texas Instruments, TF-AMD, SanDisk and Lam Research, and local SMEs.
The one-day programme was designed to facilitate knowledge exchange, align expectations, and unlock collaboration opportunities across the value chain for both local SMEs and MNCs.
The event was attended by 170 participants, with Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Sim Tze Tzin officiating.
