KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2226 — Malaysia has unveiled its first locally designed artificial intelligence processor, marking a step into the global race to build advanced electronic components.
The chip, called the MARS1000, was introduced by local designer SkyeChip at an industry association event attended by senior government officials yesterday, Bloomberg reported.
According to the Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association, the MARS1000 is an edge AI processor designed to power devices such as cars and robots from within.
The development comes as Malaysia aims to strengthen its role in the global chip supply chain and tap into the fast-growing AI sector.
Malaysia is already a major player in semiconductor packaging and serves as a manufacturing hub for suppliers such as Lam Research, while also attracting large AI data centre investments from Oracle and Microsoft.
Although edge AI chips are less powerful than Nvidia’s data-centre processors that train algorithms at scale, the MARS1000 represents a step in building Malaysia’s tech capabilities.
The government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has pledged at least RM25 billion to expand chip design, wafer fabrication and AI data centre development.
However, the push faces challenges, including a proposed move by the Trump administration to restrict AI chip flows to Malaysia and Thailand over concerns about possible transshipment to China.
