Higher sales, investment for Malaysian electronics in 2006

Malaysia's electronics industry group released an upbeat assessment of its near-term prospects on Tuesday (July 18), predicting higher sales and investment this year on the back of sustained consumer demand.

The Malaysian American Electronics Industry (MAEI) said in its annual survey that total revenues for the group in 2006 would rise by 9 percent to $19.5 billion.

Sales last year totaled $17.9 billion, down from the $20 billion in 2004 sales.

Revenues in 2005 accounted for nearly a quarter of Malaysia's total electronics exports and 25.5 percent of its semiconductor shipments.

MAEI chairman Wong Siew Hai said in a statement that the expected turnaround was a direct result of the consumer appetite for mobile technologies.

"Consumers are the driving force in this industry. The global demand for wireless devices [is] basically driving growth in the electronics industry," he said.

MAEI also said manufacturers continued to move higher value-added manufacturing to Malaysia, with local design and development investments reaching $271 million in 2005 and expected to grow an additional 24 percent this year.

But MAEI called on the government to build a wider local talent pool by encouraging more students to pursue advanced degrees in engineering and other sciences. It also said Malaysia's attractiveness as a high-tech center "is affected by rising operating costs."

- Jonathan Hopfner
EE Times