KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s semiconductor exports rose 50% in the first four months of this year despite the United States - Iran conflict, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
The Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry said exports climbed from RM141.23bil to RM212.12bil between January and April against the same period last year.
"The performance of the supply chain and trade in the Electric and Electronic (E&E) industry, as well as the semiconductor sub-sector remain strong and does not show any signs of significant disruption," it said in a parliament written reply dated June 23.
The ministry attributed growth to stronger global demand for chips.
This demand is driven by artificial intelligence applications, regional data centre buildouts and steady orders from the automotive and industrial sectors.
"Malaysia’s semiconductor industry supply chain remains integrated with the global ecosystem, with main exports focused on the US, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and China," it said, adding that Malaysia's main import sources involved China, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and the US.
The ministry was responding to Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein of Barisan Nasional-Sembrong.
He asked about strategies in balancing geopolitical pressure to ensure the local semiconductor industry is not affected.
In a separate written reply, the ministry said there was no sign so far of any serious disruption to local chip supply chains from global tariffs.
The ministry was responding to Datuk Seri Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali of Barisan-Pekan, who asked about the impact of the US and Iran conflict on the semiconductor industry.
The ministry also said its National Semiconductor Strategy, launched in 2024, had drawn more than RM85bil in approved investments by December last year.
Of that amount, RM76.5bil was foreign direct investment and RM8.5bil came from local firms.
The strategy aims to move Malaysia into higher-value work such as chip design and advanced packaging.
It also aims to build 60,000 engineers and skilled workers.
About 18,062 have been trained so far.
The ministry said Malaysia would keep to an open and neutral trade stance to reassure investors.
It also pointed to Asean-level efforts to cushion the region.
