CYBERJAYA: Malaysia's export of microchips to the United States has hit 26 per cent, positioning it among the top countries in microchip exports.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that Malaysia is the country of choice for many nations looking to issue microchips.
"We are fortunate because of the decision of many countries to make Malaysia a new hub, particularly in the issue of microchips.
"Right now, our exports to meet the demand of the United States have reached 26 per cent, one of the highest from any single country.
"We have major investments in this field, such as those from German chipmaker, Infineon, as well as Nvidia, which is coming with a major programme for artificial intelligence," he said in his speech at the grand opening of the Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCoE) here today.
On the CCoE, Anwar said it served as a milestone in Malaysia's journey towards creating a robust cybersecurity ecosystem, necessitating strong partnerships across the public and private sectors.
"We commend Blackberry for helping to upskill our next generation of cyber-defenders, accelerating our goal to bolster national and regional security and innovation.
"We envision this center as a capacity-building hub for the Southeast Asian region, with a specific focus on enhancing threat intelligence sharing, and fostering regional cooperation in mitigating cybersecurity threats and combating cybercrime.
"As the chosen location for the establishment of the CCoE, Malaysia aims to deliver upon our shared goal to establish a globally competitive skills and learning ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific region," he said.
Anwar added that it is important for the country to forge international partnerships, specifically those harnessing advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
"Through this strategic collaboration, we not only stimulate economic advancement and prosperity but also bolster the resilience of our cybersecurity infrastructure against the risks that pervade the digital landscape, by keeping the nation's data, conversations, and citizens safe."
Meanwhile Anwar said the 5G rollout in Malaysia has reached 80.3 per cent coverage as of February in populated areas, while internet coverage has reached 97.07 per cent.
He noted that communications connectivity will continue to catalyse digital transformation, specifically in industry verticals such as manufacturing, health care, warehousing, agriculture, and more, in addition to spurring the growth of data centers and cloud services.
BlackBerry Limited has opened a world-class CCoE that will deliver cybersecurity training and cyber threat intelligence to help Malaysia and partners in the region better prevent, deter, and respond to cyber threats facing governments and organizations in the Indo-Pacific region.
The company also announced its new BlackBerry Cybersecurity Curriculum is now available for the first time through the new facility, offering a wide range of globally recognized course offerings and certifications to help grow a skilled cybersecurity workforce and ecosystem in Malaysia and the region.
The new center will provide Malaysians and others in the region with increased opportunities for professional networking, knowledge-sharing, and common skills training, covering everything from cyber fundamentals to leadership and technical areas.
The CCoE curriculum offers training courses on BlackBerry® cybersecurity products and services to upskill in areas like AI and machine learning, as well as highly-specialized courses delivered by the SANS Institute, Canada's Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, and other internationally recognized certification partners.
It also offers select opportunities for scholarships for women cybersecurity professionals, with further plans to augment existing university curricula with CCoE student education programmes.