DATO’ LAI YIT LOONG

Director

Experience

Dato’ Lai Yit Loong has more than 35 years of international experience in executive roles spanning strategy, operations, sales and marketing, and programme management across the semiconductor, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure sectors. He is recognised for creating new ventures, scaling business growth and building high-impact ecosystem collaborations among governments, multinational corporations and start-ups — driving policy reform, contributing to industrial growth, and supporting cross-border partnerships and investments. This experience in industrial development, technology policy and national competitiveness aligns closely with SIRIM’s mandate to strengthen Malaysia’s industrial research, standards and innovation capabilities.

He currently advises governments, electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies, outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) providers and fabless IC design firms on semiconductor and AI strategy.

His earlier career includes senior leadership roles at some of the world’s leading technology companies: Associate Vice President of Foxconn’s Semiconductor Business Group in Taiwan (2022–2024), leading overseas manufacturing initiatives and government-backed joint ventures; Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Marketing at SilTerra Malaysia (2007–2021), accelerating new growth by winning business from the top three Taiwanese IC design houses and forging a strategic collaboration with a major Taiwanese foundry; Vice President of Sales at NVIDIA Taiwan (2006–2007); and Country Manager for Intel China and Director for Intel South East Asia (2003–2006). At Intel he received the Intel Achievement Award for his leadership of the worldwide Government PC programme, later known as the Intel World Ahead Programme, working closely with leading global OEMs including Lenovo, Dell, HP and IBM.

He has previously served as a director of two Malaysian public-listed companies — KeyASIC Berhad (2007–2009) and Green Packet Berhad (2019–2020) — and as Industry Advisor to Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (2013–2020). He currently serves as Industry Advisor to the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (SIDEC). In recognition of his contributions to industry and the community, he was conferred the Dato’ship by the Governor of Penang in 2015.

He was appointed to the Board of SIRIM Berhad in November 2025. He serves as Chairman of the Board Risk and Sustainability Committee and as a member of the Board Investment Committee and the Board Audit Committee.

Qualifications:

• B.Sc. (Computer Science), National University of Singapore
• ASEAN Scholar, Hwa Chong Junior College, Singapore​​