GEORGE TOWN: The continued growth of Malaysia's electrical and electronics (E&E) industry hinges on the ability of its local players to embrace automation and smart manufacturing.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed today said while the return on investments (ROI) in automation may not be apparent in the short term, companies will enjoy greater performance on efficiencies, improved quality products and reduced dependencies on unskilled labour in the long run.
"To better facilitate Malaysian-based companies to be part of the global supply chain, the government has recently established the Electrical and Electronics Strategic Council (EESC) to strengthen and enhance the E&E industry to the next level.
"The focus areas include semiconductor, industrial system electronics, solar and cloud computing,” Mustapa said when opening SEMICON Southeast Asia (SEA) 2016 here.
His speech was read out by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) chief executive officer Datuk Azman Mahmud.
“The E&E industry," Mustapa noted, "is a dynamic industry that has contributed significantly to Malaysia’s growth, export earnings, investments and employment."
To date, total realised investments of the E&E industry amounted to RM182 billion, where 85 per cent of these are contributed by foreign sources.
More than 780,000 people have also benefitted from these projects through employment.