By Danial Dzulkifly
SHAH ALAM, Aug 7 — The Selangor Digital School, a state government educational initiative that aims to enhance digital literacy, will be upgraded to an industrial college status, offering industry-based skills in technology and artificial intelligence applications.
The initiative will also be rebranded as the Malaysia Advanced Semiconductor and AI Institute (Masai) and will be spearheaded by the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec) as its programme director.
Sidec’s chief executive officer Yong Kai Ping said Masai’s curriculum will include training in integrated circuit (IC) design tools as well as other tech-based applications used in AI and the semiconductor industry.
“Apart from cooperation with local universities, we are also working with major semiconductor players and other tech companies to provide training on their tools to local graduates.
“This is to ensure the state continues to have the necessary talent to fill critical roles within these industries,” he said in an interview with Selangor Journal yesterday.
Yong added that some of the tools include ARM Partner Ecosystem, which gives access to ARM intellectual property library and mentorship, as well as electronic design automation training tools by major players like Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens.
The institution will also offer an upskill curriculum and provide top undergraduate students with access to companies, thus enabling research, on-the-job training and job placement for graduates.
The goal is to train 1,000 to 5,000 graduates annually, with a focus on providing hands-on experience with industry-standard tools and technologies.
Semiconductor corridor
Meanwhile, he said that Sidec has suggested establishing the Greater Klang Valley Semiconductor Corridor, a new economic zone encompassing all the major players and industries within the semiconductor sector.
Drawing comparison to Penang, which has been dubbed the Silicon Valley of Malaysia due to its robust semiconductor manufacturing sector, Yong said this corridor would comprise companies crucial to the semiconductor supply chain.
He envisions the corridor extending from Tanjung Malim in Perak to Negeri Sembilan.
“So, you have the auto hub in Tanjung Malim while several semiconductor companies also call Negeri Sembilan home. The idea is that the corridor will function as an ecosystem where the components complement each other.
“This is where companies seeking technological solutions or components can leverage local businesses within the corridor to produce them. This way, we can mobilise everyone within the corridor,” Yong said.
