PUTRAJAYA, Feb 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that ARM Holdings Plc, a leading semiconductor company from the United Kingdom, is expected to sign an agreement to establish a base in Malaysia next week.
Anwar, who is also the Minister of Finance, said he had an online discussion with ARM’s chief executive officer (CEO) this morning.
“Insya-Allah, we will finalise the agreement next week, and it will be signed,” he told reporters after launching the Malaysia Madani Logo Placement Ceremony at the Putrajaya Nasi Kandar Restaurant chain here today.
He said Softbank Group Corp CEO Masayoshi Son also participated in the discussion.
SoftBank is a leading Japanese investment holding company.
A source familiar with the matter disclosed that senior leadership from ARM Holdings and Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz were also part of the discussion.
The same source added that the agreement will be finalised to establish a base in Malaysia by the end of March.
SoftBank Group, based in Japan, owns a 90 per cent stake in ARM Holdings, and the presence of ARM’s senior leadership underscores their confidence in Malaysia’s clear policies aimed at becoming a regional hub for semiconductor design, manufacturing, and innovation.
This agreement is part of Malaysia’s National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS), which prioritises areas such as integrated circuit (IC) design, advanced packaging, and front-end semiconductor processes.
The deal involves a cross-ministerial collaboration between Miti, the Ministry of Finance (MOF), and the Ministry of Economy, according to the same source.
This strategic expansion will bolster Malaysia’s position across the entire semiconductor value chain.
The initiative aligns with Malaysia’s broader economic and industrial transformation strategies, focusing on talent development and enhancing supply chain resiliency.
Earlier, while speaking after Friday prayers at the Sultan Alam Shah School Mosque, Anwar said that ARM is among the best in the world in terms of semiconductor design and manufacturing.
“ARM has chosen to base itself in Malaysia, Alhamdulillah,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar highlighted that such investments are only possible because Malaysia has political stability and clear policies.
However, he acknowledged that the arrival of such investments also presents challenges for the country in ensuring an adequate supply of young, professional workforce.
“This is a major test — can we provide tens of thousands of young professionals?
“This is a challenge for the youth. A professional workforce is essential when we attract significant investments,” he said.
ARM Holdings Plc is a semiconductor and software design company based in Cambridge, England.
Its main business is designing central processing unit (CPU) architectures that implement the ARM instruction set.
