Investor interest in Sarawak at all-time high, says InvestSarawak

KUCHING, 6 Oct: Investor interest in Sarawak is at an all-time high, but the state must ensure infrastructure and local capability can keep pace if that interest is to translate into actual projects, said InvestSarawak Chief Executive Officer Timothy Ong.

Speaking during the Leaders Forum “Sarawak Bankable: From Chips to Space” at the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS) 2026, Ong said Sarawak’s growing profile in energy, semiconductors and digital industries had attracted stronger attention from investors.

“Today I can safely tell you, the interest for Sarawak is all time high,” he said.

He said converting that interest into investments would depend on whether supporting infrastructure, including digital connectivity, power systems, products and local content, was ready to support projects.

“What should be done going forward is really to double down on the fact that we really need to have infrastructure catch up to the demand,” he said.

Ong said energy remained a major attraction, while geopolitical shifts were also pushing interest in sectors such as semiconductors and electronics towards Sarawak.

He said Sarawak’s position as a net energy exporter gave it an advantage for investors looking at longer-term commitments.

However, he said the state was not looking at investment purely in terms of numbers.

Ong said foreign direct investment should also help strengthen local companies, technology and capability.

“It’s important to understand what are we using the FDIs for and not just the investment numbers alone,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Microelectronics Design Chief Executive Officer Shahriman Jamil said semiconductors were one area where the state could build a stronger investment proposition by completing gaps in the existing ecosystem.

He said Sarawak already had foundry and IC design capabilities, but advanced packaging remained an area that was still lacking.

“Part of our agenda when we meet potential investors is to promote advanced packaging in Kuching,” he said.

Shahriman said completing the chain from IC design and foundry to advanced packaging and manufacturing could help attract Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers to Sarawak.

Apart from that, Prof Jugdutt Jack Singh, Chief Scientist of Digital Economy for Sarawak, said investment readiness also depended on research infrastructure and stronger links between research institutions and industry.

He said Sarawak still faced gaps in areas including research, infrastructure and partnerships, particularly for fields such as AI, chip design and energy transition.

Prof Jack said research institutions also needed clearer pathways to take research outcomes into the market, with government and industry sharing responsibility for building the necessary infrastructure and resources. – TVS