Premier: Expand CENTEXS-SMD programme to unlock Malaysia’s semiconductor talent

Abang Johari (standing, fifth left) together with other distinguished guests and young engineers after the certificate presentation ceremony at the Sarawak Semiconductor Flagship Talent Development Ecosystem ceremony at CENTEXS Santubong on Sept 15, 2026.

By Karen Bong

KUCHING, Sept 15: Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has thrown his support behind the expansion of the CENTEXS-SMD Semiconductor Mastery Programme nationwide, saying more Sarawakians and Malaysians should be given the opportunity to develop technologies capable of shaping the future.

He said the programme could help build a stronger pool of semiconductor talent while supporting Malaysia’s transition from being primarily a technology user and manufacturing hub towards becoming a country that designs, owns and commercialises its own technologies.

Abang Johari said this was in line with Sarawak’s broader economic transformation under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030, which seeks to move Sarawak from an economy driven mainly by natural resources towards one based increasingly on technology, innovation and high-value industries.

“For many years, economies competed on cost and manufacturing capacity. Today, nations compete on ideas, design expertise and technological innovation.

“Those who create technology shape the future, while those who merely consume it will always remain dependent on others,” he said when officiating the Sarawak Semiconductor Flagship Talent Development Ecosystem ceremony at CENTEXS Santubong here today.

Abang Johari said Sarawak’s ambition must therefore go beyond developing technical capabilities, with greater emphasis placed on creating intellectual property, commercialising innovations and building locally owned technologies.

“Our future competitiveness will depend not on how much technology we use, but on our ability to create, own and commercialise it,” he said.

He said he hoped the semiconductor talent and technology ecosystem being developed in Sarawak would eventually extend beyond the State and Malaysia, reaching the wider Asean and global markets.

Abang Johari also highlighted the unveiling of a chip designed by students through the SMD IC Design Competition 2025 and fabricated at X-FAB Foundry in Kuching as an important milestone.

He said the achievement demonstrated that young Sarawakians could progress from learning semiconductor technology to designing and developing their own products when given the right opportunities.

“A chip may be small in size, but what it represents is much bigger. It represents your talent, confidence and capability, and the beginning of a journey towards greater technological ownership by Sarawak,” he said.

Abang Johari said Sarawak wanted its people to progress from being technology users to becoming IC designers, innovators, technology owners and eventually producers.

He also pointed to SMD’s recent Memorandum of Agreement with Linyang Energy Group as an example of how locally developed capabilities could be connected to established global industry players and translated into commercial applications.

The partnership, he said, could create opportunities for Sarawakian talent and businesses to move into higher-value activities, particularly in smart metering and battery energy storage.

Abang Johari said closer collaboration between the Sarawak government, federal government as well as national and State institutions would be increasingly important as the semiconductor ecosystem matured.

He also welcomed the establishment of the SMD Industrial Lab @ UNIMAS, saying it would strengthen integrated circuit design and research capabilities while providing postgraduate students and young engineers with greater opportunities to work with industry.

He said these efforts would support the development of strategic sectors including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy, power electronics, aerospace and satellite technologies.

“Today, Jensen Huang is shaping the future, and I hope Sarawakians will shape the future and design what the future is all about,” he said.

Abang Johari said Sarawak’s ultimate aspiration was to have semiconductor technologies designed by Sarawakians and used by people around the world.

“That is our dream, and I am sure you are able to realise that dream,” he told the engineers and young talents attending the event.

He said the expansion of the CENTEXS-SMD Semiconductor Mastery Programme nationwide would be an important step towards building the talent base needed to realise that ambition.

The event celebrated the achievements of 11 young engineers who have completed the CENTEX-SMD Analog IC Design Semiconductor Mastery Programme as well as 16 finalists from four teams in the SMD IC Design Competition 2025.

Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development Dato Sri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, CENTEXS chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani and SMD Semiconductor chairman Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar were among the distinguished guests present. — DayakDaily