(PENANG ) The new generation of Taiwanese investors are attracted to Malaysia, especially Penang, known as the Silicon Valley of the East, says Hsu Shang Chih, president of the Penang Standing Committee of Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Malaysia.

Since the US-Sino trade war, more Taiwanese investors are considering Penang due to risks of geo-political tensions where Penang is one of the most important hubs for semiconductor in Southeast Asia.

“There is trend of Taiwanese investors returning to Malaysia,’’ said Hsu, a Taiwanese who has been in Penang for few decades.

Hsu, accompanied by the vice president Chuang Chih Yao said this in a meeting with Magdelyrnn Ang, senior regional manager of Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd in northern region and Wang Yu Ping, the advertising specialist of Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd in Penang on 10 May.

Hsu, who is also chief executive officer of Lih Mei Industrial Sdn Bhd, said the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Malaysia was set up in the 90s during the peak period with the highest number of Taiwanese investors in Malaysia.

Majority of them set up manufacturing plants in Malaysia.

The chamber has a total of seven standing committees in Penang, Kedah, Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Johor and East Malaysia.

The chamber has the most number of members in Kuala Lumpur, close to 200 members followed by 90 members in Penang, he said.

The number of Taiwanese investors plunged after year 2000 as many retired without successors, he said.

Some of the companies set up by Taiwanese in Penang are ASE Electronics Malaysia Penang, Hotayi (M) Electronics Sdn Bhd, Inventec Appliances (M) Sdn Bhd, G-Shank Enterprise (M) Sdn Bhd and Dufu Technology Corporation Bhd.