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ASM has reaffirmed the importance of the Malaysia Science Endowment (MSE) as a sustainable funding mechanism to strengthen the country’s research, development, innovation, commercialisation, and economic (RDICE) ecosystem.
MSE is a key initiative under the National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (DSTIN) 2021–2030 and the Twelfth Malaysia Plan (RMKe-12), providing long-term, stable support for science and technology advancement.
Approved by Parliament in 2022, the MSE positions ASM as the implementing agency under MOSTI. The initiative is designed to complement traditional funding models by offering a more flexible and sustainable approach to financing high-impact R&D and innovation activities.
The significance of this initiative was highlighted during a working visit to Penang on 8 May 2026 by Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, YB Datuk Chang Lih Kang. Accompanying him were Minister of Economy, YB Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir; Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, YB Sim Tze Tzin; and MOSTI Secretary-General, Datuk Ts Dr K. Nagulendran.
The delegation reviewed the progress of the MSE Advanced Packaging R&D Project, a key effort to develop local advanced packaging capability in Malaysia’s semiconductor industry.
They were joined by ASM President, Academician Datuk Dr Tengku Mohd Azzman Shariffadeen FASc, and ASM CEO, Puan Hazami Habib FASc, reflecting strong institutional leadership and cross-ministerial collaboration.
The programme involves five companies from different segments of the semiconductor value chain, working together to deliver a Made-in-Malaysia proof-of-concept test chip for High Bandwidth Memory 4 (HBM4). This has led to the formation of the Malaysia Advanced Packaging Consortium (MAPC), which aims to position Malaysia as a global leader in semiconductor advanced packaging, targeting a 7% share of the global advanced packaging market by 2035.
Overall, the MSE marks a forward-looking approach to strengthening Malaysia’s innovation landscape. By combining sustainable funding with strategic industry collaboration, it plays a vital role in advancing the nation’s technological capabilities and global competitiveness.
