During the ground-breaking ceremony for its new factory building project, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said Taiyo Yuden has invested over RM3 billion in its Sarawak operations since its establishment.

Awang Tengah, who is Minister of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, said Taiyo Yuden’s new two-storey factory building is to cater to growing market demand for multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs).

“When completed in 2020, Taiyo will require another 800 personnel, increasing its workforce to over 5,000 people by 2021.

“Currently, Taiyo Yuden is the largest employer in Sama Jaya, hiring 4,360 personnel. Of this, almost all are Sarawakians – except for your top management, and 859 (19.7 per cent) of Taiyo’s total workforce are made up of degree and diploma holders,” he said.

Awang Tengah said he understands approximately 1,000 MLCCs are mounted in each smartphone such as for the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy.

He noted that in those smartphones, 30 per cent of the MLCCs are supplied by the Taiyo Yuden Group – 15 per cent of which are manufactured here.

“This is something that we here in Sarawak should be proud of,” he said.

He commended Taiyo Yuden for making Sarawak one of its major operational hubs outside of Japan.

Awang Tengah pledged the Sarawak government would continue to assist and facilitate Taiyo Yuden and other multinational corporations operating at Sama Jaya.

He noted that Taiyo Yuden was among the pioneers to set up a facility in Sama Jaya in 1994, after Toko in 1992, adding that both companies have remained strong in Sarawak for more than two decades.

Among those present were Assistant Minister of Entrepreneur and Small Medium Enterprise Development Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, Assistant Minister of Industries and Investment Malcom Mussen, Ministry of Industrial and Entrepreneur Development permanent secretary Datu Liaw Soon Eng, Ministry of International Trade and Industry Sarawak regional office director Griffith Jones Goba, Taiyo Yuden Co Ltd Japan director Hirokazu Chazono, and Taiyo Yuden (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd managing director Yoshio Akimoto.