KUANTAN, 21 NOVEMBER 2013: Kaneka Corporation(Headquarters: Osaka, Japan; President: Mr. Kimikazu Sugawara) under its “Asian Shift Policy” had launched its newest subsidiary in Malaysia, Kaneka Apical Malaysia Sdn. Bhd (Headquarters: Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia; Managing Director: Mr. Masahiro Kozai). The new facility will be producing polyimide film (trade name: APICALTM) and graphite sheet (Kaneka Graphite Sheet) for electronics and insulation applications such as flexible circuit board and insulating material for various application starting on January 2014. The production will be catering the demand from China, Taiwan, Korea, Vietnam and several other ASEAN countries. Total investment that had been made for the project is around RM 200million.
APICALTM is a high performance polyimide film which is used as the material for flexible-printed circuit boards which enables considerable size reductions in smart phones, tablet PCs and digital cameras. It is also used as an insulating material for wires, cables, motors used for airplanes, high-speed trains, satellites and super-conductive equipment due to its ultra-heat/cold-resistant unique feature. As for Kaneka Graphite Sheet, it is a high thermal conductive graphite sheet which works on the heat management of small electronic devices such as mobile phone and mobile console, mobile PC, projector, in-car electronic device and so on.
In addition to the expansion of the Kaneka Apical Malaysia plant, Kaneka Corporation is also in the midst of setting up more new businesses worth more than RM 1 billion in Malaysia. The decision to keep on investing in Malaysia is due to Malaysia’s, supportive government policies through attractive tax incentives, well developed infrastructure, political stability, and educated English-speaking workforce, and FTA network with ASEAN countries, Japan, China, India, Middle-East and Oceania.
Kaneka Malaysia has five manufacturing facilities, all located in Gebeng Industrial Park, Pahang. They specialise in high technology products that underpin Malaysia’s move towards building a knowledge economy by moving up the value chain. In his address, the Chief Executive Officer of the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) Dato’ Jebasingam Issace John said, “The spin-offs from the Kaneka Apical Malaysia Sdn Bhd’s establishment can be substantial, especially since the Kaneka brand is recognised as a top performer in production of polyimide film for the electronic products’ market. The availability of Kaneka polyimide film is expected to spur high technology downstream industries, especially in the East Coast Economic Region Special Economic Zone (ECER SEZ).”
Kaneka Malaysia, one of the earliest Japanese investors in the East Coast Economic Region of Malaysia (ECER Malaysia), has been introducing new technologies as well as nurturing local talent. The group employs more than 380 Malaysians, with the newest subsidiary Kaneka Apical providing employment to 93 in a variety of professional, management, technical and skilled positions.
In 2012, Kaneka became the first foreign investor in ECER Malaysia to participate in ECERDC’s National Talent Enhancement Program (NTEP), a 1-year attachment programme for new engineering graduates for on-the-job training at manufacturing facilities. There are currently 64 engineering graduates on attachment in Kaneka plants, all engaged in cutting edge product manufacture. Dato’ Issace described Kaneka’s commitment as laudable and hoped that other ECER investors would follow suit to strengthen the human capital of ECER.