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The Star
5 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
No proof of AI chip smuggling, says Zafrul
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) has not found any evidence of incidents relating to the smuggling of high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) chips, said its minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. He stated that the ministry has been working closely with authorities, including the police, the Customs Department, and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), as well as industry players, to investigate the matter. 'So far, we have not found any (evidence). We have spoken to the United States and big players to cooperate and work with us. If there is any evidence, we will take action. The investigation continues,' he told a press conference on Miti's report card for the second quarter of 2025. According to Tengku Zafrul, the demand for AI chips in Malaysia has been high due to its growing data centre industry. 'I think that has raised some red flags because Malaysia has started to be a dominant player in the industry,' he said, Bernama reported. On Monday, Miti issued a new directive imposing immediate controls on the export, transshipment and transit of high-performance AI chips of US origin within Malaysia under Section 12 of the Strategic Trade Act 2010. Tengku Zafrul emphasised that the government is dedicated to fostering a transparent and lawful trading environment for all partners and investors. 'We aim to ensure responsible trade practices, and we are currently reviewing the inclusion of AI chips in the Strategic Item List (SIL). 'We also want to make sure that we comply with international standards and obligations, he said, adding that it is to avoid secondary sanctions for the sake of the nation's industry and economy,' he said.


The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
MITI finds no proof of AI chips smuggling in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) has found no proof of high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) chips being smuggled into Malaysia, according to its minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz. He stated that MITI has been coordinating with enforcement agencies, including the police, Customs Department, and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), alongside industry stakeholders to verify the claims. 'So far, we have not found any (evidence). We have spoken to the United States (US) and big players to cooperate and work with us. If there is any evidence, we will definitely take action. The investigation continues,' he said during a press conference on MITI's second-quarter 2025 performance report. Tengku Zafrul noted that Malaysia's expanding data centre industry has driven significant demand for AI chips, raising concerns among international observers. 'I think that has raised some red flags because Malaysia has started to be a dominant player in the industry,' he added. Earlier this week, MITI introduced immediate export, transhipment, and transit controls for US-origin high-performance AI chips under the Strategic Trade Act 2010. The minister reiterated the government's commitment to maintaining a transparent and lawful trade environment. 'We want to ensure there is a responsible trade, and we are currently reviewing the listing of AI chips under the Strategic Item List (SIL). We also want to make sure that we are in compliance with international standards and obligations,' he said, stressing the need to prevent secondary sanctions affecting Malaysia's economy. - Bernama

Barnama
a day ago
- Business
- Barnama
MITI Finds No Evidence Of AI Chips Smuggling -- Tengku Zafrul
BUSINESS KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) has not found any evidence of incidents relating to the smuggling of high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) chips, said its minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz. He said the ministry has been working closely with authorities such as the police, the Royal Malaysia Customs Department, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), as well as industry players to investigate the matter. "So far, we have not found any (evidence). We have spoken to the United States (US) and big players to cooperate and work with us. If there is any evidence, we will definitely take action. The investigation continues," he told a press conference on MITI's report card for the second quarter of 2025. According to Tengku Zafrul, the demand for AI chips in Malaysia has been high due to its growing data centre industry. "I think that has raised some red flags because Malaysia has started to be a dominant player in the industry," he said. On Monday, MITI issued a new directive imposing immediate controls on the export, transhipment, and transit of high-performance AI chips of US origin within Malaysia, under Section 12 of the Strategic Trade Act 2010. Tengku Zafrul emphasised that the government is committed to a transparent and lawful trading environment for all partners and investors. "We want to ensure there is a responsible trade, and we are currently reviewing the listing of AI chips under the Strategic Item List (SIL). "We also want to make sure that we are in compliance with international standards and obligations, he said, adding that it is to avoid secondary sanctions for the sake of the nation's industry and economy.

The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
No evidence of AI chip smuggling found, says Zafrul
KUALA LUMPUR: There is no evidence that high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) chips are being smuggled, says Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz ( pic) . The Investment, Trade and Industry Minister said they has been working closely with authorities such as the police, Customs Department, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), as well as industry players to investigate the matter. "So far, we have not found any (evidence). We have spoken to the United States and big players to cooperate and work with us. If there is any evidence, we will definitely take action. The investigation continues," he told a press conference on the ministry's report card for the second quarter of 2025. According to Tengku Zafrul, the demand for AI chips in Malaysia has been high due to its growing data centre industry. "I think that has raised some red flags because Malaysia has started to be a dominant player in the industry," he said. On Monday, the ministry issued a directive imposing immediate controls on the export, transhipment and transit of high-performance AI chips of US origin within Malaysia, under Section 12 of the Strategic Trade Act 2010. "We want to ensure there is a responsible trade, and we are currently reviewing the listing of AI chips under the Strategic Item List. "We also want to make sure that we are in compliance with international standards and obligations," he said, adding that it is to avoid secondary sanctions for the sake of the nation's industry and economy. – Bernama