Malaysia is seeking to reassure Taiwanese investors that it remains a reliable destination for hi-tech manufacturing after Taipei suspended bilateral investment talks over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks on China, raising concerns over the future of semiconductor investments in the Southeast Asian nation.
Taiwan confirmed on Tuesday that it had paused negotiations scheduled for late October. The move came after Anwar told Al Jazeera in an August interview that he saw the self-governed island “as part of China, period”, and likened Beijing’s possible use of force to Malaysia preventing one of its own states from seceding.
Malaysian Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Johari Abdul Ghani told This Week in Asia that Kuala Lumpur “values its long-standing economic and investment relationship with Taiwan”, particularly its contribution to his nation’s electronics and semiconductor industries.