The AI boom has spawned several Asian industry giants, including TSMC, South Korea's Samsung, and SK Hynix. Driven by a sharp rise in demand for high-performance chips, the valuations of these companies have soared. But few people have noticed that Malaysia is a low-key beneficiary of this AI wave. Malaysia is a core hub for low-end chip manufacturing and data center construction. Currently, many neighboring countries are being hit by the double impact of US tariffs and the Middle East conflict driving up energy costs, yet Malaysia is using this to achieve vigorous development. According to data released by the Malaysian government on Friday, the country's GDP increased 6% year on year in the second quarter, higher than the 5.4% growth rate in the first quarter. Economic growth was mainly driven by manufacturing and construction: the manufacturing industry grew 7.5% year on year, most of which industries are related to chip production; the construction industry grew 6.6%, and the growth was driven by the construction of data center projects in various regions. Robert Walker, a researcher at the Loy Institute for International Policy Studies, a think tank, said, “Malaysia is a typical example of seizing development opportunities through diversification of the AI supply chain, and now the country has reaped the dividends brought by this development strategy.”

The AI boom has spawned several Asian industry giants, including TSMC, South Korea's Samsung, and SK Hynix. Driven by a sharp rise in demand for high-performance chips, the valuations of these companies have soared. But few people have noticed that Malaysia is a low-key beneficiary of this AI wave. Malaysia is a core hub for low-end chip manufacturing and data center construction. Currently, many neighboring countries are being hit by the double impact of US tariffs and the Middle East conflict driving up energy costs, yet Malaysia is using this to achieve vigorous development. According to data released by the Malaysian government on Friday, the country's GDP increased 6% year on year in the second quarter, higher than the 5.4% growth rate in the first quarter. Economic growth was mainly driven by manufacturing and construction: the manufacturing industry grew 7.5% year on year, most of which industries are related to chip production; the construction industry grew 6.6%, and the growth was driven by the construction of data center projects in various regions. Robert Walker, a researcher at the Loy Institute for International Policy Studies, a think tank, said, “Malaysia is a typical example of seizing development opportunities through diversification of the AI supply chain, and now the country has reaped the dividends brought by this development strategy.”