Kuala Lampur, Oct. 16 -- When the United States again threatens to impose sweeping tariffs on semiconductor imports, the tremors are felt far beyond Silicon Valley. In Penang - the "Silicon Valley of the East" - such policy risks highlight an urgent truth: Malaysia must anchor Penang's semiconductor future not only through sound industrial policy but also through regional diplomacy at the Asean and East Asia Summit (EAS).

The threat of punitive tariffs, though not yet implemented, casts uncertainty over Penang's remarkable rise as a global semiconductor hub. The state contributes about 5 per cent of the world's semiconductor exports and nearly 55 per cent of Malaysia's shipments to the United States. Any unilateral move by Washington to ...