GOVERNMENT, BANKING AND INDUSTRY UNITE TO ADVANCE MELAKA’S SEMICONDUCTOR FUTURE

First row (standing), from left to right:
Dato' Khairul Fahmy Ab Jabar, Director Government, Client Coverage, Maybank Investment Banking Berhad, En. Nor Azman Jaafar, Head Communication, Infineon Melaka, YBhg. Datuk Ginie Lim, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Melaka, Mr. Derrick Tanggapan, Director of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) Melaka, YBhg. Datuk Mohd Yusof Bin Abu Bakar, Chief Executive Officer, Melaka Corporation (MCORP), En. Adzahar Md Sharipin, Government Relations, Texas Instruments, Puan Ranita binti Abdullah, Managing Director, New Economy and Group Global Banking Sustainability, Maybank, Mr. Tay Kheng Chiong, Group MD/CEO of Dominant Opto Technologies Sdn Bhd and D&O Green Technologies Bhd.
Second row (seated), from left to right:
YB Datuk Khaidhirah Binti Datuk Seri Abu Zahar, Deputy EXCO of Investment, Industry and TVET Development, Melaka State Government, YB Datuk Wira Salhah Binti Salleh, Pegawai Kewangan Negeri Melaka, YAB Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf Bin Yusoh, Chief Minister of Melaka, Dato’ Seri Wong Siew Hai, President, Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA)
Mr. Eng Seng Meng, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Infineon Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

Industry leaders, policymakers and ecosystem partners gather to discuss Melaka's semiconductor ambitions, strengthen industry collaboration and accelerate sustainable growth within Malaysia's semiconductor ecosystem.

Highlights:
● Brought together almost 150 participants comprising industry leaders, policymakers, government agencies, financial institutions and ecosystem partners.
● Reinforced Melaka's commitment to becoming a future-ready semiconductor hub.
● Highlighted the strategic direction of the Melaka Semiconductor Strategic Plan 2026- 2035 in strengthening the state's semiconductor ecosystem and long-term competitiveness.

MELAKA, July 17 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA), in collaboration with Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Invest Melaka Berhad, Infineon Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. and Maybank, jointly hosted the MSIA Dialogue & Networking Session with the Chief Minister of Melaka on 16 July 2026 at Hatten Hotel, Melaka.

Anchored on the theme "Transforming Melaka into a Future-Ready Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing Hub: Driving Talent, Sustainability and Industrial Excellence", the programme facilitated constructive dialogue between the public and private sectors to discuss the state’s semiconductor ecosystem, industry competitiveness and opportunities arising from the continued growth of the industry. With a semiconductor heritage spanning more than five decades, Melaka continues to build on its established industrial foundation.

Supporting this direction, the ongoing Melaka Semiconductor Strategic Plan 2026–2035 complements Malaysia’s National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), with discussions focused on strengthening industry capabilities, enhancing supply chain resilience and supporting high-value investments to position Melaka as one of Malaysia's leading semiconductor and advanced manufacturing hubs.

The programme also featured remarks by YAB Datuk Seri Utama Ab Rauf Bin Yusoh, Chief Minister of Melaka, who shared his vision for Melaka’s industrial transformation, highlighting the state’s semiconductor journey and the importance of strengthening investment, industry and TVET development to support the next phase of growth.

Datuk Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim Sikh Abdul Majid, Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, stated, “Melaka has come a long way in building its semiconductor industry; today, it has the industrial base, skilled workforce and supplier network needed to compete for the next generation of high-value investments. The electrical and electronics (E&E) industry continues to be a key driver of Malaysia’s investment landscape, attracting RM6.0 billion in approved investments in the first quarter of 2026, the highest among all manufacturing industries. With its established ecosystem and strategic location, Melaka is well placed to capture a greater share of these opportunities. The next phase of growth requires close collaboration between government, industry and the financial sector to deepen supply chains, accelerate technology adoption and help Malaysian companies move up the value chain.

At MIDA, we are committed to facilitating quality investments that build industrial capabilities, drive innovation, and create quality jobs for Malaysians. The New Incentive Framework (NIF) supports these efforts by encouraging investments to develop local talent, strengthen Malaysian businesses and deliver long-term value to the people of Melaka.”

Datuk Ginie Lim Siew Lin, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Melaka Berhad, said “Our continuous engagement with industry players gives us valuable insights into how investment decisions are evolving and what companies require to grow successfully. Melaka’s semiconductor strength is built on decades of industrial presence and investor confidence, and our focus is to build on this foundation by connecting emerging opportunities with the right capabilities and partnerships. Through this approach, we aim to strengthen Melaka’s position as a preferred location for the next phase of semiconductor growth.”

Dato' Seri Wong Siew Hai, President of the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA), commented, “Malaysia's future competitiveness will not be determined by manufacturing capacity alone, but by the strength of our semiconductor ecosystem. As we move from 'Made in Malaysia' to 'Made by Malaysia', every state has a role to play. Melaka has already built a strong foundation and is well positioned to become a key driver of advanced technologies, talent development and innovation that will strengthen Malaysia's global semiconductor leadership."

Ranita Abdullah, Managing Director, New Economy & Group Global Banking Sustainability, Maybank, said, "Maybank is committed to supporting Melaka's aspirations to attract quality domestic and foreign investments into advanced and high-tech industries, while strengthening the ecosystem of multinational corporations and local SMEs as supply chains evolve and businesses enhance operational resilience. We are equally keen to support the state's sustainability aspirations and Smart City digital transformation agenda, in line with Maybank's ROAR30 strategy to mobilise RM300 billion in sustainable finance and RM100 billion for the New Economy across ASEAN."

The MSIA dialogue featured a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Datuk Ginie Lim, Chief Executive Officer of Invest Melaka Berhad, which integrated crucial perspectives from the industry, government, and financial sectors. Mr. Tay Kheng Chiong, Group Managing Director & CEO of Dominant Opto Technologies Sdn. Bhd., shared insights on the growth journey of Malaysian semiconductor SMEs, emphasising the need to strengthen capabilities and meet global customer expectations. Highlighting ecosystem development, Mr. Derrick Tanggapan, Director of MIDA Melaka, outlined how local SMEs can capture higher-value opportunities through strategic investments and partnerships. To enable this growth, Mr. Zulfadhli Bin Marjo, Head of Islamic Transaction Banking Solutions & Innovation at Maybank Islamic Berhad, discussed tailored financing and capital solutions aimed at supporting SMEs as they scale operations through technology, automation, and talent development.

The event successfully brought together almost 150 key industry leaders, policymakers, government agencies, financial institutions, and ecosystem partners, reinforcing the state's commitment to becoming a future-ready semiconductor hub.

For further information on the featured companies, including their respective boilerplates and media contacts, please refer to: https://tinyurl.com/y6nvap68

SOURCE: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Mr. Derrick Tanggapan
Designation: Director, MIDA Melaka
Tel: +606-232 2878
Email: derrick@mida.gov.my / melaka@mida.gov.my

--BERNAMA

DENODO PLATFORM 9.5 OFFERS ACTIVE CONTEXT FOR AGENTIC AI, ANALYTICS

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Denodo, an artificial intelligence (AI) data layer company, has announced the availability of Denodo Platform 9.5, advancing its role in providing active context for agentic AI, analytics, and self-service data delivery.

Denodo Platform 9.5 makes trusted enterprise context easier to define, operationalise and reuse, strengthening the platform's semantic and contextual intelligence while simplifying how teams build, manage and share trusted data products across the enterprise.

“Denodo Platform 9.5 helps organisations deliver the trusted active context that AI, analytics, and data consumers across the entire enterprise need to act with confidence,” said Denodo chief technology officer, Alberto Pan in a statement.

New features include an expanded enterprise knowledge graph within the Denodo Data Marketplace, metric views, enhanced reasoning capabilities for Denodo Assistant to streamline data-view development, and expanded connectivity across the data and AI ecosystem.

Denodo Platform 9.5 expands its Data Marketplace with a new 360-degree graph and asset extensions, enabling organisations to define an enterprise knowledge graph with a broader set of data ecosystem assets and the relationships that connect them.

The metric views feature enables organisations to define, govern and reuse business metrics such as revenue, profit, order count and customer value more consistently across reports, dashboards and tools.

Denodo Platform 9.5 also advances the VQL Shell towards a more conversational development experience, with Denodo Assistant supporting an interactive workflow that helps teams create accurate data views faster.

These capabilities help organisations bring more enterprise information into governed AI, analytics, and data-sharing workflows while reducing integration friction and improving performance across distributed environments.

-- BERNAMA

UNIVAR SOLUTIONS NAMED AMONG NEWSWEEK'S WORLD'S GREENEST COMPANIES 2026

KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 (Bernama) -- Univar Solutions LLC (Univar Solutions), a global solutions provider of speciality ingredients and chemicals, has been named one of the World’s Greenest Companies 2026 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group.

The recognition is based on an evaluation of publicly available data and was conducted in collaboration with Plant-A Insights and GIST Impact, highlighting organisations making measurable efforts to reduce their environmental impact and advance sustainability.

“As a company, we believe it is essential to support customers on their sustainability journeys. We built our Sustainable & Natural Product Portfolio to help provide transparency and clarity as we work together to drive sustainability at the product level,” said Univar Solutions Vice President, Commercial Sustainability, Kelly Gilroy in a statement.

Meanwhile, Univar Solutions Senior Director of Global Sustainability & Social Impact, Dr Liam McCarroll said the company views resource efficiency as both a responsibility and an opportunity to reduce waste, use water more effectively and apply circular economy principles across its operations.

“This helps create opportunities to improve how we work, lower costs, reduce risk, and help our customers advance their own sustainability ambitions through better resource management solutions,” added Dr McCarroll.

Through continued investment in technology, process improvement and organisational engagement, Univar Solutions is progressing towards its 2030 climate goals and longer-term net-zero ambition, while continuing to focus on resource efficiency.

Univar Solutions also received recognition in part due to its sustainable and natural product framework that helps customers evaluate sustainability for ingredients and raw materials. It is designed to help enable productive communication on product-level sustainability.

Newsweek's World’s Greenest Companies 2026 ranking evaluates the top 850 organisations across 28 countries. The ranking is based on over 25 sustainability criteria, including greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, waste generation, and strict adherence to European Union sustainability standards.

-- BERNAMA

HEALING MEETS HOSPITALITY COMES TO LIFE THROUGH DR WIRA & SISTER MANJA

Dato' Sri Siti Nurhaliza, Brand Ambassador of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), pictured with Dr Wira and Sister Manja official plushies, following MHTC's strategic collaboration with Tourism Malaysia in conjunction with MYMT 2026 and VM2026.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) today introduced Dr Wira and Sister Manja, Malaysia Healthcare's healthcare-inspired interpretation of Wira and Manja, the official mascots of Visit Malaysia 2026. Developed in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia, the initiative extends the spirit of Visit Malaysia 2026 into Malaysia's medical tourism story, bringing Malaysia Healthcare's brand promise of Healing Meets Hospitality to life while supporting the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026 (MYMT2026).

Originally introduced as the official mascots of Visit Malaysia 2026, Wira and Manja were inspired by the Malayan Sun Bear, one of Malaysia's most treasured native species. Beyond celebrating the country's rich biodiversity, the duo embodies the warmth, resilience, friendliness and welcoming spirit that define the Malaysian experience. These qualities have long shaped how visitors experience Malaysia as a tourism destination. Today, MHTC builds on that same foundation by translating these values into the healthcare journey, where patients are welcomed with world-class clinical expertise, compassionate care and genuine Malaysian hospitality.

Recognising the strong alignment between the values represented by Wira and Manja and the Malaysia Healthcare experience, MHTC has reimagined the beloved tourism mascots as Dr Wira and Sister Manja. Rather than creating new mascots, this healthcare-inspired interpretation extends the story of Visit Malaysia 2026 into medical tourism, illustrating how the same Malaysian hospitality that welcomes visitors also accompanies patients throughout their healthcare journey.

While portrayed as a doctor and a nurse, Dr Wira and Sister Manja do not represent individual professions. Instead, they symbolise the entire Malaysia Healthcare ecosystem, honouring the collective contributions of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, researchers, therapists, patient coordinators, caregivers and hospital support teams who work seamlessly together to deliver safe, high-quality and patient-centred care. Together, they embody the values that define Malaysia Healthcare: world-class clinical excellence, compassionate care, multidisciplinary collaboration, innovation and genuine Malaysian hospitality.

Every patient's journey is unique, yet what many remember most extends beyond successful treatment. They remember the reassuring smile before a procedure, the doctor who patiently explained every step of their care, the nurse who offered comfort during recovery, the patient coordinator who continued to check on them after returning home, and the many healthcare professionals whose kindness made them feel at home while receiving treatment in Malaysia.

These moments of empathy, attentiveness and genuine care, demonstrated by healthcare professionals across the country, have become hallmarks of the Malaysia Healthcare experience. They reflect a culture where healing goes beyond medicine, creating an environment where patients feel respected, reassured and cared for throughout every stage of their journey.

"Wira and Manja have become familiar representatives of Malaysia's warmth and hospitality through Visit Malaysia 2026. By reimagining them as Dr Wira and Sister Manja, we are extending that same Malaysian spirit into healthcare, celebrating the people and values that have made Malaysia a preferred healthcare destination. They are not simply characters in medical uniforms, but a reflection of the compassion, professionalism and hospitality that patients experience throughout their healthcare journey,” said Dato’ Suriaghandi Suppiah, CEO of Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council.

With Dato' Sri Siti Nurhaliza serving as the official Malaysia Healthcare Brand Ambassador, the introduction of Dr Wira and Sister Manja further strengthens Malaysia Healthcare's brand narrative under the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026. While Dato' Sri Siti continues to champion Malaysia's healthcare excellence with her trusted voice, authenticity and influence, Dr Wira and Sister Manja complement that role by bringing the Healing Meets Hospitality promise to life through visual storytelling and meaningful public engagement. Together, they reinforce Malaysia Healthcare's commitment to delivering not only world-class treatment but also a healthcare experience defined by compassion, empathy and genuine Malaysian hospitality.

Dr Wira and Sister Manja will make their public debut at selected Malaysia Healthcare engagements throughout the Malaysia Year of Medical Tourism 2026. Members of the public can also meet the mascots at the MH Wellness Fair on 16 July 2026 at Taylor's University Lakeside Campus, where they will have the opportunity to participate in a lucky draw to win the exclusive Dr Wira and Sister Manja plushies as well as MHTC X Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza’s exclusive postcard.

Because in Malaysia, healing begins with hospitality, and hospitality begins with people.

SOURCE: Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Muhammad Rasydan Bin Ma’at
Head of Unit, PR and Media Unit
Communications
Tel: +603 8776 6168
Email: rasydan.m@mhtc.org.my

Name: Mohamad Shahizam Fauzi
Head, Communications
Tel: +603 8776 6168
Email: shahizam.f@mhtc.org.my

--BERNAMA

XIONG’AN NEW AREA JOINS GLOBAL DIGITAL ECONOMY CITIES ALLIANCE

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Bernama) -- The 2026 Global Digital Economy Conference Xiongan Future Digital Intelligence Forum was recently held in Xiong'an New Area, attracting more than 600 guests, including academicians and experts, government representatives, research institutions, university delegates, enterprises and social organisations.

At the forum, Xiong'an New Area officially joined the Global Digital Economy Cities Alliance, successfully becoming part of the global digital economy collaborative development partnership network.

This move provides an international exchange platform for the New Area to participate in global digital governance, expand digital cooperation and enhance the international profile of the "Future City", according to a statement.

Two major regional collaborative development initiatives were officially launched at the forum. One aims to establish a Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei collaborative innovation demonstration zone for "AI + Manufacturing", jointly proposed by authorities from the three regions.

The second initiative seeks to integrate education, science, technology and talent development in digital intelligence between Xiong'an New Area and relocated Beijing universities, including Beijing Jiaotong University, the University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing Forestry University and China University of Geosciences (Beijing).

In addition, nine platform carriers under the Xiong'an New Area Digital Economy Innovation and Development Pilot Zone were awarded licences, covering satellite industrial parks, training bases and Zhongguancun Science Parks.

Concurrently, Xiong'an New Area also unveiled six major digital intelligence platforms and seven categories of independently developed digital intelligence products, showcasing the development of its digital economy.

The forum also featured Digital Intelligence Frontier sessions, keynote speeches and high-level dialogues. Domestic and international experts and scholars presented the latest developments in digital intelligence.

Going forward, Xiong'an New Area will use the forum to strengthen cooperation through the alliance platform, promote innovation and further develop its digital economy pilot zone.

-- BERNAMA

AV ACCESS LAUNCHES ALL-IN-ONE 4K CONFERENCE VIDEO BAR

KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 (Bernama) -- AV Access, a professional audio-visual (Pro AV) provider, has launched the AnyCo V100, an all-in-one 4K conference video bar designed for small meeting rooms and huddle spaces to support hybrid collaboration.

The company said the AnyCo V100 combines video conferencing, presentation functions, a 4K artificial intelligence (AI) camera, speakerphones, laptop charging and network connectivity into a single device.

AV Access chief technology officer, Bill Liao said the AnyCo V100 enables businesses to simplify meeting room deployment by integrating multiple conferencing functions into a single device.

“By consolidating video conferencing, seamless presentations, and essential room hardware into a reliable, one-cable solution, businesses can drastically optimise their workplace AV technology budget and get any meeting space ready in minutes,” he said in a statement.

According to AV Access, users only need to connect a single USB-C cable to their laptop to access video conferencing, screen sharing, internet connectivity and up to 100 watts of charging without requiring additional software or drivers.

The company said the device also features an ultra-wide 4K AI camera with automatic framing, speaker tracking and presenter tracking, as well as XMOS digital signal processing technology for echo cancellation, noise reduction and voice capture.

The product will be showcased at the InfoComm Asia 2026 exhibition in Bangkok from July 15 to 17.

-- BERNAMA

HONG KONG SECURES LEAP EAST AS EXCLUSIVE ASIAN HOST UNTIL 2029

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 (Bernama) -- The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) has partnered with LEAP East’s organiser to secure Hong Kong as the exclusive Asian host city for LEAP East from 2027 to 2029.

LEAP East, the Middle East’s flagship technology exhibition, recently made its Asian debut in Hong Kong over three days ending July 10, attracting more than 25,000 participants, 55 per cent of whom were non-local and 45 per cent local.

“This significant partnership not only demonstrates the global industry’s confidence in Hong Kong but also affirms Hong Kong’s status as the World’s Meeting Place and a hub for innovation and technology, as well as its role as a ‘super-connector’ and ‘super value-adder’.

“By bringing together tech and innovation enterprises, investors, research institutions and innovative talent from around the world, Hong Kong is fostering cross-regional and cross-industry collaboration,” said HKTB Chairman, Dr Peter Lam in a statement.

Meanwhile, Tahaluf Chief Executive Officer, Mike Champion said Hong Kong, as the host of LEAP’s first flagship edition outside the Middle East, is the perfect platform to connect Middle Eastern technology enterprises with Asian businesses while creating opportunities for Asian companies to engage with partners across the Gulf.

“I look forward to partnering with HKTB over the next three years to build LEAP East into a premier international platform that brings together global innovation and fosters cross-regional collaboration,” added Champion.

According to Dr Lam, more than 100 major International Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) events were held in Hong Kong in the first half of this year, following HKTB's efforts to secure, facilitate and support the events.

“Looking ahead, even more world-renowned international MICE events across diverse sectors such as medical science, food science and technology, lifestyle, innovation and technology, aviation and transport will be hosted in Hong Kong,” said Dr Lam.

The HKTB will continue working with the MICE industry and partners to attract more large-scale international MICE events to Hong Kong, enriching the city's year-round events calendar, attracting more high value-added visitors and enhancing their overall business travel experience.

-- BERNAMA