Malaysia, once a humble player in the semiconductor industry, has pivoted from its traditional strengths in back-end manufacturing to cutting-edge design and advanced packaging, rewriting the rules of the game. 

In a story written by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and published by Reuters late last year, the government claims that Malaysia’s ascent is no accident. “The country’s growth is underpinned by a skilled workforce, strategic geographic positioning and strong government backing. These factors have created fertile ground for the industry to evolve and grow. Despite the challenges of the post-pandemic era, Malaysia attracted over RM1 trillion (US$232.2 billion) in approved investments from 2021 to the first half of 2024, emphasizing Malaysia’s resilience and growing appeal as an attractive investment hub on the global stage,” the MIDA story said. 

Key initiatives such as the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030) and the NSS are focused on enhancing Malaysia’s advantage in high-value activities, including IC design, wafer fabrication and advanced packaging. 

“Our goal is to craft an environment where innovation and collaboration thrive,” said Sikh Shamsul Ibrahim, CEO of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). 

“We are fostering a dual ecosystem of multinational corporations and home-grown champions, promoting technological transfer and innovation,” he said. “Through pro-industry policies, we’re fueling R&D, automation and Industry 4.0 adoption, while our vendor development programs help Malaysian companies integrate into the global value chain. 

One of the NSS’s primary objectives is to increase Malaysia’s share in high-tech manufacturing exports from 5 percent to 6 percent by 2030, the MIDA story said. The strategy places emphasis on advanced packaging, chip design and front-end manufacturing while also focusing on the development of a talent pipeline of 60,000 skilled semiconductor professionals by the end of the decade. 

“Malaysia’s rise as a semiconductor powerhouse is supported by robust infrastructure and a well-established digital ecosystem,” the story said. “With more than 500 industrial parks, specialized zones and an extensive logistics network of seaports, airports and highways, the country offers a strong advantage for companies expanding semiconductor operations in Southeast Asia.” 

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on semiconductor technology, Malaysia is positioning itself as a crucial partner in the global supply chain, the story said, as MIDA predicted that “the country’s semiconductor exports, currently ranked sixth in the world, are set to climb higher as investments in advanced technologies bear fruit.” 

“Malaysia’s semiconductor industry has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability,” said Ibrahim. “As we look ahead to our ASEAN chairmanship in 2025 under the theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability,’ Malaysia is ready to lead with unity, inclusivity and collaboration at the heart of our efforts. 

“As a key player in the electrical and electronics manufacturing sector, we are committed to transitioning towards more sustainable technologies and practices, while advancing within the semiconductor value chain,” he added. “We recognize the critical role of regional supply chains and are striving to enhance ASEAN’s competitiveness in the global semiconductor industry and its supply network.” 

It is with this ongoing investment in tech-intensive industry that we turned to IP professionals in the region in order to understand better what clients in Malaysia will need in the future. Asia IP asked a large number of professionals – mostly in-house counsel and corporate legal managers – what they were looking for from their legal service providers. From their answers, we have compiled our list of Malaysia’s IP Experts, those lawyers who understand what their clients need and are able to provide them with the best practical advice.  

While two powerhouse firms employ nine of the lawyers on our list, the rest of the list reflects a growing diversity of practices in Kuala Lumpur, with lawyers from a number of young and medium-aged firms receiving recognition as IP Experts.  

Not surprisingly, Shearn Delamore & Co. (Karen Abraham, Michelle C.Y. Loi, Jyeshta Mahendran, Indran Shanmuganathan and Timothy Siaw) placed five lawyers on our list, while Skrine (Leela Devi Baskaran, Pei Yee Kuek, Melissa Long and Charmayne Ong) placed four and RDS Partnership (Zhi Jian Lim, Michael Soo and Bahari Yeow) placed three. 

Adnan Sundra & Low (Nicole Chong and Sri Sarguna Raj), Henry Goh & Co. (Eng Leong Lim and Yen Yen Oon); Josephine, LK Chow & Co. (Cyndi Chow and Khaik Kew Peh); LAW Partnership (Suraran Singh Sidhu and Brian Law); Marks & Clerk (Chris Hemingway and Gerald Samuel); Raja, Darry & Loh (Phye Keat Chew and Yvonne Ong); Tay & Partners (Lin Li Lee and Kim Poh Ng); Wong & Partners (Celia Cheah and Kherk Ying Chew); and Wong Jin Nee & Teo (Bong Kwang Teo and Jin Nee Wong) each placed two lawyers on our list. All in all, 32 different firms placed at least one lawyer on our list.  

Our survey includes only those lawyers working at law firms in Malaysia. Most of the lawyers named to our list have multiple practice specialties. Many of them are litigators, while others concentrate on prosecution work or provide strategic advice.  

All of them have something in common: they are Asia IP’s IP Experts for Malaysia. 

– Gregory Glass 

Malaysia’s IP Experts is based solely on independent editorial research conducted by Asia IP. As part of this project, we turned to thousands of in-house counsel in Asia and around the world and asked them to nominate private-practice lawyers, including foreign legal consultants, advisers and counsel.  

The final list reflects the nominations received combined with the input of the editorial team at Asia IP, which has more than 50 years of collective experience in researching and understanding the legal market in Southeast Asia. 

All private practice intellectual property lawyers working at law firms in Malaysia were eligible for inclusion in the nomination process; there were no fees or other requirements for inclusion in the process. 

The names of our 50 IP Experts are published here. Each IP Expert was given the opportunity to include their biography and contact details in print and on our website, for which a fee was charged.