Kuala Lampur, May 2 -- Kudos to the government for the decision to up the ante on the country's semiconductor business. Malaysia's semiconductor strategy represents a calculated and ambitious bid to transcend its historical role and claim a larger, more valuable piece of the global chip supply chain. Long known as a global powerhouse for assembly, testing, and packaging (ATP) - controlling about 13 per cent of the global market and over 50 per cent of the global chip testing trade - the nation is now leveraging geopolitical shifts, its established ecosystem, and proactive government policy to climb the value ladder.

Malaysia is no newcomer to the sector. For decades, it has been a reliable, stable manufacturing hub for multinationals lik...