KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 — Malaysians have reason to be proud with three local companies making it in this year’s Forbes’ Asia’s 200 Best Under a Billion list that is mostly dominated by firms from China, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.

The three companies are Elsoft, Pentamaster and Vitrox. The three have a combined market value of nearly RM5.53 billion and net income worth US$59 million (RM259.6 million).

The first, Elsoft Research Bhd mostly manufactures semiconductors and provide LED test and burn in systems. The company was founded in 2003 with a market capitalisation value of US$132 million (RM546 million).  

Pentamaster Corporation Berhad is an investment holding company which through its subsidiaries manufactures automated and semi-automated machines and equipment, designs and manufactures precision machinery components.

Founded in 1995, it has a market cap of US$329 (RM1.36 billion) and employs over 200 people. As of July, it registered US$105 million (RM434 million) in sales.

The third and last Malaysian company in the list, Vitrox Corporation Bhd, develops and produces automated vision inspection systems through its subsidiary.

The company provides machine vision solutions for semiconductor integrated circuit inspection and has the biggest market cap value among the three at US$796 million (RM3.29 billion).

Vitrox, based in Penang, was established in 2000, the company told Malay Mail in a subsequent email.

In comparison, only two companies based in southern neighbour Singapore, made the list.

The Singaporean companies are AEM Holdings and IGG.

AEM has a market cap value worth US$190 million (RM794 million) while IGG was valued at US$1.5 billion (RM6.2 billion).

The two had a combined net income of US$214 million or close to a billion ringgit for the past year.

However, Thailand, Malaysia’s northern neighbour, had five companies made the list with a combined market cap value of US$851 million (RM3.5 billion).

They are Exotic Food, Pylon, Seafco, Siam Wellness Group and United Paper.