NCIA chief executive Mohamad Haris Kader Sultan said Budget 2027 strengthens the Northern Region’s semiconductor and industrial base, with a new RM100 million Strategic Investment Fund in Penang for semiconductor and advanced manufacturing firms, continued investment in Kulim Hi-Tech Park, and the RM1.2 billion Khazanah-KWAP fund to move local semiconductor companies up the value chain. This matters for automotive and maritime supply chains too: the Automotive Hi-Tech Valley in Tanjung Malim and Lumut Maritime Industrial City are both named as direct beneficiaries, expected to create vendor investment opportunities, alongside Perlis infrastructure upgrades positioning it as an ASEAN agrotechnology and cross-border trade hub. Semiconductor manufacturers, automotive supply chain vendors, and maritime/logistics operators in the Northern Region may be affected, with the SemiconStart programme and NCER Technology Innovation Centre both still in rollout.

 

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