SOLAR POWER LAUNCH LAM RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL SDN. BHD.
SPEECH BY YAB TUAN CHOW KON YEOW,
THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG
AT SOLAR POWER LAUNCH LAM RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL SDN. BHD.
15 December 2022
Lam Research, BKIP, Penang
YBhg. Dato Seri Lee Kah Choon
Special Investment Advisor to the Chief Minister of Penang
YBhg. Dato Loo Lee Lian
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of InvestPenang
Mr. Mike Snell
Corporate Vice President of Manufacturing, Lam Research Corporation
Ms. Soon Kuek
Managing Director and General Manager of Lam Research International Sdn Bhd
Ms. Josephine Tan Mei Ling
General Manager of Penang Green Council (PGC)
Mr. Tan Choo Eng
Chairman of Malaysian Nature Society, Penang Branch
Distinguished guests
The members of the Lam Research family
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Good morning.
It is an honour to be here this morning to witness yet another milestone by Lam Research International at this Solar Power Launch event. I wish to congratulate Lam Research team and all involved for reaching this milestone today.
Ladies and gentlemen,
For the past 50 years, Penang has been relentless in its pursuit of manufacturing excellence and has now set itself to be a globally recognized destination for high-tech manufacturing. Penang is also known as the “Silicon Valley of the East”, as it establishes itself as an important manufacturing base for electrical and electronic (E&E) products within Malaysia and is among the most vibrant hubs in the region.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Penang’s industrialization this year, Penang has earned a solid reputation as the economic powerhouse of the country. Penang’s industrialization journey began in 1972 with the establishment of Malaysia’s first free trade zone in the state. The arrival of pioneer multinational corporations (MNCs) heralded the development of comprehensive industrial ecosystems, cemented Penang’s conducive location for MNCs’ offshore manufacturing sites, and elevated the state’s status as a prominent hub for advanced manufacturing and high value-added upstream activities.
Today, this list has grown, and we are glad to have Lam Research set up its wafer fabrication equipment operations with a manufacturing plant in Batu Kawan, Penang. Being one of the preeminent leaders in semiconductor capital equipment, Lam’s presence is expected to have far-reaching impacts on Penang in many aspects, from supply chain localisation, technical workforce skillsets to economic spillover effects.
While we can expect the further enhancement of the already comprehensive and robust E&E ecosystem in the state from Lam’s presence, we are glad that Lam Research is also ramping up their sustainability efforts.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The rising momentum in Penang’s sustainability agenda is clear. Lam’s efforts in this area not only demonstrate its outstanding corporate citizenship, but also their long-term commitment in contributing to the state’s environmental well-being.
In line with the Penang2030 vision of ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’, the State Government through the Penang Green Council, has launched the Penang Green Agenda 2030, or in short, PGA 2030, in the year 2021. PGA 2030 is aimed at implementing strategies to build a future-proof community in Penang to meet and adapt to forthcoming environmental challenges by 2030.
Under PGA 2030, the state has achieved several milestones, such as establishing Penang’s first Disaster Unit Management to carry out research and data collection for disaster mitigation, the formation of the Penang Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Taskforce (PREET) to look into the application of energy efficiency projects in the state, and many more.
Lam’s investment in the solar power system will bring Penang a step closer to becoming a green manufacturing hub that we can all be proud of. We hope that this will serve as a yardstick for other industry players to take similar approaches, thereby elevating the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) adoption in the state.
InvestPenang, being the state investment promotion agency, is also placing huge emphasis on sustainability. Aside from providing on-the-ground facilitation, InvestPenang will work concertedly with industry players like Lam Research to create greater awareness about the importance of ESG among the small and medium enterprises in Penang.
Once again, I would like to congratulate Lam Research for this outstanding milestone. I look forward to deepening the partnership between Lam Research and the Penang State Government, and I wish Lam Research every success.
Thank you.