Investment by Micron Memory Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. In Batu Kawan Industrial Park, Penang

Speech by Chief Minister of Penang

Announcement Ceremony – Investment by Micron Memory Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. In Batu Kawan Industrial Park, Penang

Chief Minister’s Office, Level 28, Komtar, Penang
30 November 2018

YANG BERHORMAT DATO’ IR. AHMAD ZAKIYUDDIN ABDUL RAHMAN, DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER 1 OF PENANG

YANG BERHORMAT PROF. DR. P. RAMASAMY, DEPUTY CHIEF MINISTER 2 OF PENANG

YANG BERHORMAT DATO’ SERI HAJI FARIZAN DARUS, PENANG STATE SECRETARY

YANG BERHORMAT EXCO MEMBERS

YANG BERBAHAGIA DATO’ SERI LEE KAH CHOON, SPECIAL INVESTMENT ADVISOR TO CHIEF MINISTER & DIRECTOR OF INVEST PENANG

YANG BERBAHAGIA DATO’ ROSLI JAAFAR, GENERAL MANAGER OF PENANG DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

YANG BERBAHAGIA DATO’ LOO LEE LIAN, CEO OF INVEST PENANG

MR GURSHARAN SINGH, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT MICRON TECHNOLOGY BACKEND OPERATIONS

MR AMRINDER SIDHU, DIRECTOR OF SINGAPORE LEGAL

MR MOORTHY A/L MURUGAIAH, DIRECTOR OF MALAYSIA COUNTRY HR

DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

MEMBERS OF THE PRESS

LADIES & GENTLEMEN

Good morning. I am pleased to be present today at the announcement ceremony of investment by Micron Memory Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. at the Batu Kawan Industrial Park. The Penang State Government is pleased that Micron, a US-headquartered MNC which is an industry leader in innovative memory and storage solutions, has selected Penang to be part of their expansion plans.

Penang - A Preferred Hub for Investment

In 2017, Penang recorded the largest FDI inflow of MIDA approved manufacturing FDI among states in Malaysia, valued at RM8.5 billion. Penang is also the second top recipient of total manufacturing investment among states valued at RM10.8 billion. Out of the RM72 billion approved investment recorded from 2008-June 2018, RM14.4 billion or 30% were from US investors, which makes US the largest FDI contributor to the Penang economy. Penang continues to lead in the investment of E&E sector, consistently recording more than 1/3 of the total E&E investments in Malaysia in the period of 2008-2017.

Micron’s RM1.5 billion Investment in Penang

Today, we are proud to announce that Micron will be investing an initial RM1.5 billion in Penang within 5 years to build Micron’s center of excellence for Solid State Drive (SSD) Assembly and Test. The company expects to break ground at Batu Kawan Industrial Park in the first half of 2019, and begin operations within two years. This significant investment is expected to create about 1,000 high value jobs in the E&E sector.

We welcome Micron, a Fortune 500 company to our family in Penang. This further reinforces the position of Penang as the Silicon Island of Asia. As a family member, we assure Micron of the State’s support and commitment to assist in their continued growth in Penang, where many E&E MNCs had successfully celebrated their 45th anniversaries.

Earlier, I have had a fruitful discussion with the Senior Leadership Team from Micron led by Senior Vice President, Mr. Gursharan Singh. State agencies such as InvestPenang and Penang Development Corporation have also worked closely with Micron to facilitate their site selection process in establishing their centre of excellence here in Penang.

It is the State’s commitment to continue to strengthen and deepen our semiconductor and E&E investments in Penang by attracting high technology, high value industry leaders such as Micron. Penang will partake in the development of the Industry 4.0 revolution catalyzed by technological advancements in areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and cloud.

The State will continue to enhance our talent pool leveraging on the residual intelligence from Penang’s cumulative industrial experience of over 45 years, better synergize our existing business ecosystem, and continue to build on our existing Centre of Excellence for STEM to continue to spur interest among our young generation in STEM. The State will also continue to work in synergy with the Federal Government in ensuring Malaysia continues to tap on our comparative advantages of each state in advancing our economy for the future.

Closing Remark

In closing, I would like to congratulate Micron for this significant expansion here in Malaysia, and Penang is proud to be your destination of choice for this center of excellence for SSD Assembly and Test. We look forward to strengthen the partnership between Micron and Penang, and Micron’s continued success and excellence.

Thank you.