Penang, chip assembly & test (Malaysia)

Behind wafer etching lies the less visible step of assembly, test and packaging: Malaysia captures about 13% of the global market, most of it concentrated around Penang and Kulim. The world's sixth-largest semiconductor exporter, the country is an unavoidable back-end link in the chain, through which the chips of dozens of foundries pass before shipment. A downstream dependence revealed by any local interruption, flood, power cut or geopolitical strain.