Malaysia’s latest move to seek chip partnerships with Brazil and India is more than a matter of trade diversification; it signals a fundamental geopolitical recalibration in Asia’s technology map. With global commerce increasingly defined by protectionist impulses from Washington, countries like Malaysia are being forced to rethink old dependencies and align with emerging power blocs like BRICS.

Deputy Trade Minister Liew Chin Tong’s remarks before the Malaysian Parliament acknowledging that the country’s reliance on US exports “may one day end" mark one of the boldest admissions yet from Kuala Lumpur about the shifting centre of gravity in global trade.

For decades, the US and its tech ecosystem have anchored Malaysia’s electronics industry. But as Washington’s tariff walls grow taller, the need to find new markets has become not just strategic but existential.

The Great Semiconductor Reorientation

Malaysia has long been a crucial player in the semiconductor value chain. Though it is not known for cutting-edge chip design like Taiwan or South Korea, its assembly, testing, and packaging (ATP) industry forms an indispensable part of the global supply network. Chips account for nearly 60 per cent of Malaysia’s annual electrical and electronics exports, making the country the sixth-largest semiconductor exporter globally.

But the ground is shifting beneath its feet. With the United States tightening export controls,........

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