In collaboration with the Asia-Europe Institute (AEI) of the Universiti Malaya, our office hosted a screening and post-screening forum of” A Chip Odyssey” on April 14 at the AEI Auditorium. We sincerely thank the more than 150 attendees from Malaysia’s public, private, and academic sectors, Taiwanese business leaders and representatives from diplomatic missions in Malaysia.
Ambassador Lien Yu-Ping remarked in her speech that, in the challenging environment of the 1970s, Taiwan made a bold and risky decision to develop its semiconductor industry. Thanks to the dedication and sacrifices of early pioneers, Taiwan now has globally leading companies such as TSMC and a powerful supply chain. In the face of today’s geopolitical and economic challenges, the global semiconductor industry must adopt strategic thinking. Taiwan is willing to seek partnerships in Southeast Asia based on mutual respect, equality, and shared interests. Taiwan and Malaysia have complementary economic strengths, and there is strong potential for collaboration.
She also noted that Taiwanese investment in Malaysia over the years has created 470,000 job opportunities. Taiwan ranks first in advanced chip production, while Malaysia is a global leader in semiconductor packaging and testing, offering vast opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. Ambassador Lien emphasized the importance of jointly advancing high-tech semiconductor development and called for a review and update of the bilateral investment agreement (BIA) to better support supply chain needs.
Beyond semiconductors, Taiwan and Malaysia have many other areas for cooperation. Taiwan’s application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) would further enhance regional economic integration and inject momentum into regional prosperity.
In addition to the film screening and forum, the event featured a 30-minute introductory by Professor Chen, Tain-Jy of the Taipei School of Economics and Political Science, National Tsing Hua University, outlining Taiwan’s semiconductor development trajectory. This was followed by a post-screening forum moderated by Distinguished Professor Dato’ Dr. Rajah Rasiah, Executive Director of Asia-Europe Institute. We are glad to have the Dean of the Institute of Advanced Studies, Universiti Malaya, experts from the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, and Professor Chen to jointly participate in the panel discussions and Q&A session.
