On 17 November 2025, AMCHAM CEO Dato’ Siobhan Das spoke on the opening panel of the Fortune Innovation Forum 2025, a premier global gathering of business leaders examining the forces reshaping the world—AI, digital transformation, geopolitics, trade, and investment. Her message focused on “Malaysia need not be bystanders in today’s transformation, but must seize the opportunity to be critical architects of the next chapter of global integration.”
Entitled, “Competing in a Post Global World” the panel included esteemed speakers James Crabtree, European Council on Foreign Relations; Vivek Luthra, Senior Managing Director, Accenture; and Yuelin Yang, Board Council, Asian Corporate Governance Association and moderated by Clay Chandler, Co-chair of the Fortune Innovation Forum and Executive Editor, Asia, Fortune.
The group explored how CEOs could address the ‘poly-crises’ that are happening in parallel, driven by geo-political and economic forces today.
Dato’ Siobhan talked about how leaders of MNCs and smaller firms are being called on to turn “geopolitical complexity into strategic and competitive advantage.” Relying on collaboration and using platforms like AMCHAM, provide unique opportunities to work on challenges together for common goals.
The panelists explored a broad spectrum of perspectives, from the realignment of global trade and its effects on countries and multinational corporations to the rise of sovereign AI and its role in driving digital transformation. The discussion centered on how the global trading order is being reshaped by unilateral actions and emerging technologies, and on the strategic choices countries and companies must make to stay competitive and unlock new sources of growth.
Dato’ Siobhan summarized her points by emphasizing the importance of national competitiveness by going deeper and stronger with the integration of manufacturing supply chains with the global partners; a journey that is over 50 years in the making. Establishing trust will provide opportunities in existing and in the diversification of markets.
AMCHAM extends our appreciation to the Fortune Innovation Forum for inviting our CEO to contribute to this timely and forward-looking dialogue.
AMCHAM’s Member Feature Series spotlights the various member companies of the Chamber and offers a platform for leaders to share their perspectives on being part of AMCHAM’s leadership network.
In this edition, we’re proud to feature a Bronze Tiered Member, Pay Fern Chew, Senior Director, Biz Ops Support, Flex in Malaysia. See her responses below.
1. What motivated Flextronics to join AMCHAM as a Tiered Corporate Member, and how has the membership added value compared to regular membership?
Being a tiered member provides us the opportunity to partner more closely with AMCHAM and in some instances, tiered members are also provided access to pre-events dialogues and discussions with key agencies and ministries.
2. Would you recommend Tiered Corporate Membership to other companies? If so, why?
Absolutely. The access, engagement, and visibility that come with tiered membership create meaningful advantages that we’ve experienced first-hand.
On 13 November, AMCHAM attended the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation’s (PETRA) Joint Announcement on The Reclaimed Water for Malaysia. The event marked a major milestone with the signing of a four-party partnership between PETRA, Air Selangor, Indah Water Konsortium (IWK), and Amazon Web Services (AWS) — advancing Malaysia’s circular water economy and promoting sustainable digital infrastructure.
As Malaysia continues to attract significant data centre investments, the need for sustainable water management has become increasingly critical. This initiative underscores the importance of diversifying water sources — such as reclaimed water, rainwater harvesting, and recycled effluent — to support the country’s growing digital ecosystem.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof; Selangor Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari; and Dr. Saji PK, Director for Data Centre Operations, AWS Asia Pacific, Japan, and China.
Under this initiative, Air Selangor entered into an industrial reclaimed water supply agreement with AWS, marking the first use of reclaimed water in data centre operations within the Klang Valley.
We are proud that AWS, an AMCHAM Gold member, continues to play a leading role in strengthening Malaysia’s water security and circular economy by bridging sustainable water management with industrial innovation.
On 6 November, AMCHAM hosted Aileen Nandi, Vice President of Global Strategy & Analysis, AdvaMed.
Members, especially from the healthcare sector, engaged in a thoughtful discussion on the U.S.–Malaysia trade agreement’s implications for medical devices and pharmaceuticals. The conversation also touched on broader trends shaping the MedTech landscape locally.
The dialogue underscored the value of continued cooperation between the U.S. and Malaysia, as well as the importance of local associations and training in government procurement processes.
Thank you to Aileen for an insightful session and for connecting with our members on advancing healthcare innovation.
Plexus once again joined the Penang International Science Fair (PISF) 2025, held on 8 and 9 Nov 2025, themed “You + AI > You”. Plexus participated by setting up two engaging booths – the Industry Exhibition Booth and the MakerLab Booth to inspire young minds about the exciting world of engineering and innovation.
At the Industry Exhibition Booth, visitors explored the product showcase and participated in the STEM and AI games that made learning fun and interactive. The MakerLab Booth, meanwhile, was proudly run by Plexus-sponsored school, SMK Jalan Damai.
More than 100 Plexus volunteers supported the event – their passion and teamwork played a key role in creating a meaningful experience for visitors.
Plexus’ participation at PISF 2025 reflects our ongoing commitment to nurturing future innovators and building meaningful connections with the community. It was a rewarding weekend of learning, collaboration and inspiration.
Skrine has released 2 articles on 10 and 21 October, 2025. Click on the links below to read the article(s).
