GEORGE TOWN: The Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) has directed Politeknik Balik Pulau in Penang and Politeknik Tuanku Sultanah Bahiyah in Kedah to reassess their course structures.
This initiative aims to address the workforce needs of Malaysia’s expanding semiconductor industry.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir highlighted the strategic locations of both institutions near the nation’s semiconductor hub.
“I’ve instructed the two polytechnics in the northern region to re-evaluate the courses they offer,” he said.
The goal is to align programmes with industry demands and reduce reliance solely on universities for skilled talent.
Zambry stressed the need for polytechnics and community colleges to adapt within the semiconductor ecosystem.
He spoke at the IEEE International Symposium on the Physical and Failure Analysis of Integrated Circuits (IPFA) 2025.
The event was held at the Setia Spice Convention Centre in Bayan Lepas.
Zambry linked the move to Malaysia’s ambition to lead in semiconductor design and manufacturing.
A robust education-industry partnership is key to maintaining global competitiveness, he added.
He praised Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) for advancing chip development through industry collaborations.
“This proves our institutions can contribute to both front-end and back-end semiconductor processes,” he noted.
USM and Universiti Malaysia Perlis are pivotal in engineering and semiconductor education, he said.
Five MTUN universities also specialise in tech fields like AI and semiconductors.
IPFA 2025, organised by USM’s CEDEC, runs until August 8.
The conference includes workshops, keynote speeches, and industry-led discussions on microelectronics. – Bernama