Talking to the gathered throngs during a Kuala Lumpur conference, the leader expressed the nation's ambition to capitalise on its existing strengths as a provider of outsourced assembly and testing (OSAT) services and to advance into high-end semiconductor design, enhanced OSAT, advanced packaging, and the production of sophisticated semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

His €97.3 billion goal surpasses the total funds allocated under the European Union (€43 billion) and US (€48 billion, converted from $52 billion)

Malaysia's initiative, dubbed the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), envisions the creation of ten local design and advanced chip manufacturing leaders with annual revenues ranging from €191 million to €909 million plus 100 "semiconductor-related companies" with revenues up to €191 million.

The Prime Minister foresees these startups emerging through a three-phase process. The initial phase will utilise existing capabilities to modernise OSAT, progress to advanced packaging, expand current fabs, seek foreign investment to enhance local manufacturing capacity for traditional edge chips, and develop local design firms.

"Phase two is all about moving to the frontier," Anwar declared. This involves pursuing state-of-the-art logic and memory chip design, fabrication, and testing.

The final phase involves domestic semiconductor design, manufacturing equipment, and advanced packaging, drawing in purchasers of sophisticated chips – such as Apple, Huawei, and Lenovo – to seek advanced manufacturing sources in Malaysia.

In Anwar's extensive promotional talk, highlighting government incentives, a multilingual workforce, and free trade agreements, he presented Malaysia as a "bridge to connect countries open to tech collaboration."

Without explicitly referencing the tensions between China and the US, the Prime Minister implied that Malaysia is "offering itself as a neutral ground that ensures all tech collaborations from the East and the West, North and the South."

"We also recognise that reaching the frontiers of chip technology is neither easy nor inexpensive," he acknowledged.

Hence, Malaysia has pledged €4.8 billion to progress certain aspects of the NSS. However, the PM's address did not specify the €97.3 billion investment source, its arrival time, or its allocation.