Star online reported that high-end research and development (R&D) and designing work related to chip making and read and write heads for hard disks are migrating to Penang at a time when multinational corporations (MNCs) are slashing jobs worldwide amidst a global recession.
The vision of Koh Tsu Koon to create a niche for high-end R & D in Penang is showing results.
The early establishment of Phase IV at the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone as a high technology zone is bearing more fruits at the right time – possibly Penang worst economic crisis. This high tech niche vision is not just limited to Phase IV.
Altera, Motorola High Technology Center and the other high tech companies in Penang will help mitigate the dire consequences of this current economic crisis.
Yet, this will not be sufficient to avert the crisis – much more need to be done. Many non-high tech plants and supporting industries are having a tough time surviving.
It is for Lim Guan Eng to show his capability as a Chief minister to lead Penang out of this crisis and not give mere excuses. When there is no vision, no plan and no action; the people will suffer.
The vision of Koh Tsu Koon to create a niche for high-end R & D in Penang is showing results.
The early establishment of Phase IV at the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone as a high technology zone is bearing more fruits at the right time – possibly Penang worst economic crisis. This high tech niche vision is not just limited to Phase IV.
Altera, Motorola High Technology Center and the other high tech companies in Penang will help mitigate the dire consequences of this current economic crisis.
Yet, this will not be sufficient to avert the crisis – much more need to be done. Many non-high tech plants and supporting industries are having a tough time surviving.
It is for Lim Guan Eng to show his capability as a Chief minister to lead Penang out of this crisis and not give mere excuses. When there is no vision, no plan and no action; the people will suffer.
P.S. 15,000 Sony employees in Malaysia had been “certified safe” from retrenchment (The Star, 2 March 2009, Pg N3). Sony's first plant was in the Perai Industrial Zone, it was originally called Toyo Audio (M) Sdn Bhd. It was from this plant, that Sony Malaysia had grown to what it is today. Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Masahiko Horie said, “ Sony Malaysia is one of Sony Corp's top branches in the world in term of HRD, on-the-job training, and also product variety and quality”. I had the benefit of working in Toyo Audio, and totally agreed with Ambassador Horie remark.
1 comment:
Star Online, Monday March 2, 2009
High-end R&D work migrating to Penang
By DAVID TAN
GEORGE TOWN: High-end research and development (R&D) and designing work related to chip making and read and write heads for hard disks are migrating to Penang at a time when multinational corporations (MNCs) are slashing jobs worldwide amidst a global recession.
Altera Corp, Intel Corp and Seagate Technology are among the MNCs that have invested in fresh R&D activities in Penang to develop the next generation 28-nanometre (NM) field programmable gate array (FPGA) chips, 45 NM and 32 NM chips, and a new range of read and write heads for hard disk drives.
Altera recently unveiled its new RM100mil centre in Penang, the site of the group’s largest offshore R&D technical centre.....
Post a Comment