Category Archives: news

SilTerra Holds its 3rd Safe Riding Program to Spread Road Safety Awareness Among Employees

SilTerra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (“SilTerra”) in collaboration with the Social Security Organization (“SOCSO”), held a Safe Riding Program. Apart from enhancing employee engagement, this program was aimed at spreading awareness on road safety, particularly for motorcyclists. It is also in line with efforts to empower our people in the aspect of safety and health, which is one of the material issues in SilTerra’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework.

 

Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation, Enforcement Department reported that a total of 598,635 road accidents happened nationwide between January 2023 until December 2023. 12,417 involved fatalities, 2,331 serious accidents, 28,511 minor crashes and 555,376 vehicle damages. As a responsible corporate citizen, SilTerra is compelled to help address this issue in efforts to reduce the number of accidents.

 

The program commenced with a welcoming speech by Dr. Albert Pang, CEO. Among other things, he mentioned the road accidents statistics involving SilTerra employees: In 2023 there were 3 cases with a total 76 man-days lost. In 2024, we have 2 cases with loss of 10 man-days so far. “We must work together to reduce these losses”, he emphasized.

 

 

The program was also attended by Ms. Lee Soo Hooi, VP of Manufacturing, Mr. Fakrulazli Mohamad, Head of Legal, Secretarial and HR and Mr. Tahiruddin Hamdan, Head of Corporate Communications, Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) and Environmental Social & Governance (ESG).

 

The program then proceeded with a talk by Puan Yuni Rossila binti Mohd Razali, trainer from MOTOWAZI. The talk covered topics on recognizing blind spots especially in long and large vehicles, safe riding techniques, good road safety behaviour, collision risks and vehicle handling techniques on slippery roads. The program provided insight on critical theoretical skills and the importance of regular vehicle maintenance checks.

 

 

Mr. Mohd Nazrin Akmal bin Nordin from SOCSO, gave a short briefing on the Employment Insurance Scheme (EIS). In conjuction with today’s theme “Safe Riding”, he then proceeded to open the floor to questions on the SOCSO employee injury scheme which provides protection to an employee against accident or an occupational disease arising out of and in the course of his employment. This includes industrial and commuting accidents, occupational illnesses, and accidents during emergencies.

 

 

Excitement peaked during the lucky draw session when employees stood a chance to win attractive prizes. The picture below illustrates the delighted faces of the lucky participants.

 

 

SilTerra invited Mr. Goh Boon Kooi, from SOCSO to hand over some of the lucky draw gifts to the participants.

 

 

We thank everyone who took part in this program, as well as the co-organizer, SOCSO, for their contributions. By reaching out to employees through such programs, we hope to remind everyone to always “Think Safety First” at work and outside of work.

SilTerra Strengthens its Collaborative Ties with Kedah Police and KITA Members through Police Town Hall & Dialogue Session

SilTerra hosted the Kedah Police and members of the Kulim Industrial Tenants Association (KITA) for the Police’s Town Hall and dialogue session. It was a jointly organized event by SilTerra, Kedah Police and KITA. Aimed to further strengthen the bond between Kedah Police and the community of Kulim Hi-Tech Park, this year’s event saw a total of 150 participants from SilTerra, Kedah Police and KITA.

 

The event started of with a Town Hall Session, moderated by ASP Vasu A/L Kuppusam (IPD Kulim). The objective of this session is to enhance public awareness on scams and vigilance against these sophisticated and deceitful crimes. In the two rounds of questions conyeved by ASP Vasu, the participants showed enthusiasm, keenly listening to the input by the 3 panelists; DSP Mohd Norfadzly Bin Mohd Hashim, Deputy Head of Commercial Crime Investigation Department, (IPK Kedah), En Mohd Yunus Bin Yusof, Bank Manager (Muamalat Malaysia Berhad, Kulim) and Puan Norrazlina Binti Nordin, Deputy Regulatory Director of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (Kedah).

 

 

Among the topics covered were love scams, online scam such as phishing, mule account, phone scam, identity theft, internet banking fraud and others. The panelists provided tips on how to protect yourself and what to do if you fall victim to these scams.

 

 

New banking security updates were also shared by En Mohd Yunus, account holders have to physically visit banks to change their phone number for internet banking which used to be able to be done via ATM machines. He also shared that nowadays, no one could open a new bank account without a proper justification, this is to minimize the risk of the accounts being used for internet banking scam. Admittedly, he received backlash from customers for these security updates, however, he assures that it is for the greater good.

 

 

DSP Mohd Norfadzly warns the audience to not simply lend money to scammers disguised as friends or family. Their voices could be easily modulated using AI applications, protect yourself by asking a lot of questions, especially trick questions to identify your loved ones. On occasions, scammers will resort to desperate measures such as faking an emergency or kidnapping. In this situation, remain calm, verify the information and seek help from authorities, if needed, before responding.

 

 

Sextortion scams are a type of phishing attack whereby people are coerced to pay a ransom because they have been threatened with sharing a picture or video of them in the nude or performing sensual acts. These scams are designed to play on the victim’s emotions with the expectation of the rash decision to pay ransom. Puan Norrazlina advised everyone to not take the bait and succumb to the modus operandi “Even if it is really you in the picture, no one could prove it is you unless you admit to it. With the emergence of Deepfake and other applications to digitally alter a person’s face,  no one could prove it was you.” She strongly advised everyone to stay calm and report the scammer to the authorities.

 

 

The Q&A session was quite interesting, Chim from Infineon asked “If my money was taken away from my bank account after being scammed, is there a possibility that I will get my money back?” DSP Mohd Norfadzly answered, “The chances of getting the money back is highly unlikely. This is due to the many levels of transactions and processes that are sometimes untraceable. The money will not stay for long in one place. This is also the reason why the Police and the Bank is pushing for awareness and vigilance on this matter.”

 

 

Puzi asked “Apps such as Whos Call and Truecaller are recommended to identify the callers. Two days ago, I received a call that was clearly reported as scammer. My question is, why are these numbers still active and not blocked?” Puan Norrazlina responded that apps such as “Truecaller and Whos Call are not under MCMC. The contact names that appeared through these apps are saved by the app users. If you have legitimate suspicion that the contacts saved are real scammers, please lodge an official report so the numbers can be blocked.”

 

 

“Can you share with us the percentage of the scam crimes solved?” asked Hisham. He also joked that there are a lot of people who would ask for loans from friends and would never pay the existing loans but keep on borrowing from other people, can we also categorize these people as scammers? The audience chuckled in response. DSP Mohd Norfadzly replied that, “The clearance rate for scam crimes is quite high. However, in most cases, clearing a crime means at least one suspect or one mule account was tracked and charged with the crime. The masterminds are still at large. Hence, the public should always be careful and update themselves on the current scam tactics.”

 

The second session continued with the Kedah’s Chief of Police Dialogue Session with the Kulim Industrial Tenants Association (KITA). SilTerra is proud to be associated with the Police’s initiative to drive partnerships with community members of KITA to ensure safety. We were able to observe the police forces gather valuable insights while providing solutions to safety related issues highlighted by the participants.

 

 

This initiative represents SilTerra’s ongoing efforts with its stakeholders to achieve common goals and objectives which aligns with SilTerra’s commitment to ensure a safe environment for all employees, contractors, visitors and customers. We believe that community policing plays a crucial role in ensuring security and maintaining a stable environment for economic growth and prosperity.

 

 

SilTerra Hosts Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) for SMARTGPB Program

SilTerra has always believed in being a good corporate citizen. It hosted, on behalf of tenants of Kulim Hi-Tech Park who are members of the Kulim Industrial Tenants Association (KITA), an information sharing and workshop conducted by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (RMCD) on SMARTGPB (SMART Gudang Pengilangan Berlesen or SMART Licensed Manufacturing Warehouse) Program.

 

 

The event was an awareness program on SMARTGPB which involved the Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC), members of KITA and Customs officers from Kedah, Perak and Perlis. While 70 participants attended the event physically at SilTerra’s Auditorium, another 190 participants joined the session online from the northern region as well as from Kuala Lumpur.

 

In SilTerra, the event was attended by Tuan Zuhdi bin Hj. Abdul Zakaria, Head of RMCD Kulim, Puan Noraidawati binti Abd Kadir from HQ Putrajaya Customs, Tuan Mohd Khairul Helmy bin Abdullah from Penang Customs and Tuan Mohd Khairil Anuar from MPC.

 

 

 

 

After the welcoming speech by Dr. Albert Pang, CEO of SilTerra and opening speech by Tuan Zuhdi bin Hj. Abdul Zakaria, Head of RMCD Kulim, all participants at the auditorium were treated to breakfast before taking part in the awareness program and hands-on training on SMARTGPB.

 

Dr. Albert Pang said, “Today, with the uncertainty of business conditions, industries need to strive for an excellent scorecard in terms of quality and delivery of their products”, he also added “We hope to see more of such projects in the future in hopes that it will drive greater productivity for the nation”.

 

SMARTGPB is a new online platform for manufacturers and RMCD to manage the submissions and approvals of direct materials for industries.

 

Before SMARTGPB, all manufacturers were required to do manual submission for their licenses. The online system is an improvement to the existing licensing process especially in approval lead time. It is an innovative project under MyMudah initiative that was developed along with MPC as the facilitator. This digital transformation will help strengthen Malaysia’s capabilities as a progressive and competitive nation.

SilTerra Advocates Good Governance, ESG and Security Awareness to Suppliers

On 26th September 2023, SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“SilTerra”) held its Supplier Awareness Day, an initiative to improve its Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) stewardship in creating long-term value for its stakeholders.

 

The Company’s focus towards sustainable development is driven by balancing business growth with environmental and social responsibilities while advocating good governance among suppliers.

 

SilTerra’s Supply Management team continues discussion with suppliers to explore opportunities by gathering more info from the supply chain to understand ESG practices better.

 

Briefing on ESG by Mr. Tahirruddin Hamdan

 

Supplier code of conduct briefing by Ms. Lee Min Hong

 

IT security briefing by Ms. Vimala

 

Briefing on the security protocols and procedures at SilTerra by Mr. Mahazir

 

Supply Management updates by Mr. Zaidi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the attendees during the event

SilTerra Strengthens its ESG Stewardship by Organizing EHS Day

On 19th September 2023, SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“SilTerra”) organized its EHS Day, an initiative to increase awareness in the environment, employee health, and safety.

 

The EHS Department of SilTerra lined up a series of interactive talks for employees. The first is a talk on Recycling by Solid Waste Corporation (SW Corp), followed by a talk on “Ergonomics at the Workplace” by the Department of Safety and Health (DOSH) and Return to Work Program by the Social Security Organization (SOCSO). EHS Day ended with a presentation from the EHS/ESG department on “ESG initiatives at SilTerra”.

 

En.Mohd Mukhlis bin Mohd Azilan, presenter for SW Corp

 

The key takeback from the first talk, Recycling by Solid Waste Corporation (SW Corp), is that everyone should start separating their rubbish, if not, then landfills will take up more space and eventually more land have to be allocated for landfills. SilTerra has started segregating non-scheduled waste (i.e. paper, aluminum, glass and general) from the office/factory at source for some time already. It is time to enhance monitoring the quantum that goes to landfill and how much is diverted from it.

 

The second session by DOSH was about the awareness and importance of ergonomics in the workplace. The speaker emphasized on the preventive measures regarding Musculoskeletal Disorder (MSD).  The key takes away from the briefing is each employee suggested to maintain suitable posture and position at work station. It is necessary for human body to prevent and correct posture problems, reduce stress and enhance physical capabilities.

 

Ts. Mazlina Binti Yusof, presenter for DOSH

 

SOCSO’s talk was about the Return to Work Program which was introduced in 2007 for Insured Persons suffering from employment injury. The Return to Work program involves a proactive approach taken in helping Insured Persons with injuries or diseases opportunities to safe and productive work activities as soon as it is medically possible or when maximum medical improvement is achieved with primary focus on minimizing the impact of injuries or disabilities.

 

Puan Syafarina Binti Othman, presenter for SOCSO

 

The last session of the day was about the Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) initiatives at SilTerra where updates were shared on the Company’s ESG performance and where SilTerra stands in achieving its sustainability targets and commitments. SilTerra also has established the GHG emission for Scope 1 and Scope 2 as the baseline emission for the company. SilTerra continue to address materiality issue toward the company ambition to achieve carbon neutral by 2040 and net zero emission by 2050.

 

En Akmal Bin Azizan, presenter for EHS/ESG Department of SilTerra

 

SilTerra will continuously strengthen its Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) stewardship from time to time, to create long-term value for its stakeholders.

SilTerra Accelerates Innovation Through Continuous Improvement Sharing

On 14th June 2023, SilTerra organized the Continuous Improvement Sharing (CIS) 2023 to present operational excellence projects. This initiative is in line with the Company’s core values, IR2IS; Innovation.

The projects presented and exhibited were from the period of January 2020 until December 2022. An impressive 92 project titles were submitted, from 29 different departments. The total number of employees involved were 238.

Speaking during the event, Dr. Albert (CEO) said “In the robust and dynamic industry of SilTerra, embracing a culture of Continuous Improvement is essential to maintain our competitive edge.”

“Leaders should drive continuous improvement initiatives”, he added.


Also speaking during the event, BJ Thung (VP, Manufacturing) emphasized that Implementing the Six Sigma Methodology or DMAIC in a systematic manner is a key factor in achieving success in this industry.


The top 8 project presentations were divided into 4 sessions. In session 1, Bitt Coin Finder initiated the 1st presentation, followed by LOGICHV, Troubleshooters, and Finance & IT.


For session 2, the presentation started with the Blackhawk, The 95-Percenter,  Mech Army, and Tool Maker Team [TMT].


Besides the presentation of projects, the attendees were treated to a free lunch and lucky draws where they stood a chance to win cash vouchers.


Exclusive SilTerra umbrellas were also given to those who participated in the quiz sessions.


Snapshots of our colleagues visiting the exhibition.  

SilTerra Rewards Long-serving Employees with an Appreciation Night

On 26th May 2023, SilTerra organized the Long Service Awards (LSA) 2023 to celebrate the employees who have completed 15, 20 and 25 years of service in the year 2020 until June 2022. The event was held at the  PARKROYAL Penang Resort.


SilTerra invited more than 200 long-serving employees to celebrate their loyalty and commitment throughout the years.

Speaking during the event, Dr. Albert, (CEO) publicly thanked our long-serving colleagues for the many years of service that they have devoted to the organization.


“In an age when job hopping is trendy, the constant pursuit of better opportunities and new experiences means that employees rarely stay for more than a few years. However, thanks to everyone here, we may have challenged that statement”, he added.




Also speaking during the event, Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir (Chairman),  emphasized that the Company remains strong because of committed employees, and with our operations running more than two decades, he thanks the recipients for being the strong foundation which SilTerra stands on.




Recipients were entertained by the presentation of the Montage video, highlighting some of the memorable moments of our long-serving employees.




The Long-Service Award was divided into four (4) sessions. Session 1 was presented by Mr. Nor Din Abdullah (VP, Finance and Acting Senior Director for HR).



Session 2 was presented by Dr. Albert Pang (CEO).



Session 3 was presented by Datuk Seri Wong Siew Hai (A member of the SilTerra Board of Directors).



Session 4 was presented by Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir (Chairman).



The pinnacle of the event was the celebration of the two longest serving-employees, Mr. Anuar Fadzil (Director, Facilities), celebrating 25 years in SilTerra and Mr. Tahiruddin Hamdan (Senior Director, EHS & ESG), celebrating 26 years. SilTerra is honored to have staff members whose many years of dedication, have shaped and contributed to our successes. 



Besides the presentation of awards, the recipients were also treated with an 8-course dinner serving arrangement by PARKROYAL Resort, musical performances by Riverwalk Buskers and traditional dances by Fusion, representing the Chinese, Indian and Malay community.



In between the award sessions, the emcees had a chance to chat with some of the Long-Serving Employees. When asked to describe SilTerra in one word, Harriman said “Awesome” and Noorazly said “Family”. We hope that this is a mutual feeling shared among all SilTerra employees, how wonderful it is to be working at an awesome place with colleagues who you consider as family?


For the second round of getting to know our long-serving colleagues, we asked them about their memorable moments at SilTerra. One of the recipients, Shahril, said that he met his wife at SilTerra. We believe that there are more colleagues who met their other half at work. We thanked Shahril for sharing the moment with us. Asma Hani, on the other hand, shared that her memorable moment was being able to work in different departments and this caused her to gain invaluable experience.


The event ended with a group-photo session to commemorate the joyous moment.

SilTerra Participated in SEMICON SEA 2022

SilTerra is overjoyed to spend our days in SEMICON SEA 2022 from 21 – 23 June 2022. We felt that this convention indeed promoted the growth of the semiconductor and microelectronics ecosystem by connecting companies, suppliers, and buyers from across the supply chain. It was an excellent platform to further enhance SilTerra’s business and future undertakings.

Thanks to all visitors who dropped by our booth, had a friendly chat and took the chance to explore potential future collaboration.

Kudos to Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association (MSIA) for making this event a success. We look forward to joining this premier event again, next year!

SilTerra Intensifies Efforts in Development of Talent and Innovation

Kulim, Malaysia, 22nd June 2022 – SilTerra Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“SilTerra”) has intensified its efforts towards nurturing the development of local talents as well as innovation in semiconductor sector in the country.

The company recently undertook its maiden sponsorship for Robot Competition 2022 (“ROBOCON Malaysia 2022”). The wafer foundry has emerged as the platinum sponsor for the national competition, having sponsored RM15,000 as part of the company’s ongoing corporate social responsibility (“CSR”) initiative to encourage talent development for the semiconductor industry ecosystem in Malaysia.

The sponsorship was also aimed to bolster the newly established partnership between SilTerra and Universiti Sains Malaysia (“USM”), following their recent Memorandum of Understanding in areas of collaboration, including talent development through the sponsored internship programme, skill-based training, seminars, workshops and development of joint-curriculum.

ROBOCON Malaysia 2022 was jointly organised by USM in collaboration with the Higher Education Ministry and Radio Televisyen Malaysia (“RTM”) at Kompleks Sukan Azman Hashim, USM in Penang.

SilTerra also participated in the SEMICON Southeast Asia 2022 “SEMICON SEA 2022”. Themed “Forward as One: Building A Resilient and Sustainable Electronics Supply Chain in Southeast Asia”, SEMICON SEA 2022 gathered industry experts for the latest developments, innovations and trends across the semiconductor supply chain.

In addition, the event provided opportunities for semiconductor manufacturing equipment companies, private-and-public partners and industry players to connect and explore new collaboration and growth opportunities.

The event was launched at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre in Bayan Lepas, Penang and officiated by YAB Mr Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister, Penang. It was also attended by participants from the semiconductor industry, featured more than 250 companies with 400 booths and attracted some 10,000 attendees.

SilTerra Sponsors ROBOCON 2022 at Universiti Sains Malaysia

SilTerra is a proud Platinum sponsor for ROBOCON 2022 Universiti Sains Malaysia The program was aimed to drive the development of students talent in the robotics field, as well as fulfilling the aspirations of the Ministry of Higher Education.

Congratulations to all the winners! All the best to the Champion, UTM B Universiti Teknologi Malaysia representing Malaysia to the next stage at New Delhi in August 2022.

We are extremely proud and we will be rooting for you!