Q4 2025NEWSLETTERIN THIS EDITION Page 2 • Welcoming of TNB Head• CEO Network Lunch Page 3• Dialog with Penang’s CM• Visit to Immigration of PenangPage 4 • Cybersecurity for Manufacturing SectorPage 5• Deep Dive into Penang’s energy infrastructurePage 6• FREPENCA financial check• Tuan Idrus farewellPage 7• 2026 FREPENCA outlook• Penang Mutiara Line LRT Briefing – January• CEO Networking Lunches with Immigration, PGC, TNB, Customs & MIDA• Environmental Stewardship Engagement with PCG• Biogas Plant Site Visit• Monthly Anti-Scam Programme (12 sessions throughout 2026) – CLICK HERE• FREPENCA AGM – 31 March 2026• Meeting with Penang’s CMKEY HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2026
2WELCOME TNB HEAD MR.WANFREPENCA recently welcomed TNB’s newly appointed Head of State for Penang, Mr. Wan, during a courtesy visit to B. Braun. The session marked an excellent first engagement and set the tone for a strong and collaborative partnership ahead.The discussion highlighted the critical relationship between industry players and TNB, with meaningful exchanges on key topics such as power supply reliability, power quality, and the future availability of green energy in Penang which are all crucial enablers for the state’s growing industrial ecosystem.Mr. Wan reaffirmed TNB’s full support for all FREPENCA member companies, underscoring a shared commitment to ensuring a resilient, sustainable, and futureready energy landscape for Penang.This engagement reflects FREPENCA’s continued efforts to foster open dialogue between industry and key stakeholders, strengthening collaboration for long-term growth and sustainability.CEO NETWORK LUNCH BATU KAWAN - MRT UPDATESOn Friday, 31 October, FREPENCA hosted its Quarterly CEO Network Lunch at The Ship Campus in Batu Kawan, bringing together industry leaders for an informative and timely exchange. The session featured an update from the SRS Consortium, who shared the latest developments on LRT-related construction works and their anticipated impact on traffic flow across Penang.A key highlight of the discussion was FREPENCA’s close collaboration with relevant stakeholders to develop a comprehensive traffic mitigation plan. This plan is scheduled for implementation in Q1 2026 and is expected to remain in place until at least mid-2028, ensuring minimal disruption to business operations during the construction period.The session underscored FREPENCA’s proactive role in advocating for its members by facilitating early engagement, clear communication, and practical solutions to shared challenges.
3 VISIT OF FREPENCA AT THE IMMIGRATION DIRECTOR OF PENANGOn 24 November, FREPENCA was invited to a dialogue session with the Penang Director of Immigration, focusing on key immigration matters, including enforcement activities and compliance requirements.During the discussion, the Director reiterated the importance of proper overseas visitor registration. Member companies are strongly advised to always prepare and retain official invitation letters for overseas visitors, as these may be required during inspections. For members’ reference, additional information and relevant resources are provided below:• Immigration FAQ (Malay language): https://www.imi.gov.my/index.php/faq_brjim/soalanlazim-plsxpats/• PLS XPATS Application Portal: https://mtp.imi.gov.my/plsXpats/main• Online Enquiry Portal: https://eapp.imi.gov.my/DIALOG WITH PENANG’S CHIEF MINISTERDuring FREPENCA’s annual dialogue with the Chief Minister of Penang, the MRT Corporation expressed its appreciation for the fruitful collaboration with FREPENCA on traffic-related matters, highlighting the value of continued industry and public sector engagement.In turn, FREPENCA emphasized the importance of strengthening future collaboration with key authorities, including PBA, TNB, and the Penang Green Council (PGC), in support of the Penang Green Industry Plan (PGIP). The discussion reaffirmed a shared commitment to advancing sustainability while ensuring industrial competitiveness.FREPENCA also underscored the critical need for cost parity in green energy, noting that affordability will be a key factor in encouraging wider adoption among member companies and accelerating Penang’s green transition.
4CYBERSECURITY FOR MANUFACTURING SECTORIn just 3 months of 2025 there were 657 known ransomware attacks on manufacturing businesses worldwide, and according to the Dragos Industrial Ransomware Analysis (https://www.dragos.com/blog/dragos-industrialransomware-analysis-q2-2025). At a recent roundtable organized by EY in Penang, it was explained that this situation is becoming more prevalent and all companies are at-risk with one-infive organisations reporting a cybersecurity incident with 40% of those causing operational disruption.IT specialists see a rise in hacker campaigns specifically targeting industrial systems, exploiting phishing/social-engineering approaches, legacy flaws in the (often older) software systems used in manufacturing and attacking our vendors & contractors to gain access to our systems.In a manufacturing environment, one of the increasing risks we have is the expanding ‘Attack Surface' – meaning the number of internetexposed/cloud systems and the number of user accounts with permissions for sensitive company softwares (execution systems, financial systems, HR systems etc).The recent Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) attack is instructive: the cyberattack shut down car production for 5 weeks and took more than 6 months to fully recover with total costs in the $billions. As a result, shareholders and board members of all companies are taking more interest in business preparedness to resist such attacks – the cost of securing your operations is far less than recovery after a successful attack.As senior managers of FREPENCA companies we should be ensuring:• The company maintains a full list of installed software & cloud assets, including those connected through suppliers & customers.• A risk assessment conforming to IEC62443 (Securing Industrial Automation and Control Systems) is periodically conducted.• Network Architectures, Segmentation & Firewalls are configured to address the risks.• Rigorous implementation of vendor approved software patches & updates for all assets.• User Accounts and Permissions are regularly reviewed/revoked and old softwares retired to mimimise the 'Attack Surface'.
5POWERING PROGRESS: A DEEP DIVE INTO PENANG'S ENERGY INFRASTRUCTUREAs our initiatives and efforts become more & more towards sustainability, we have kicked off a new Convenor group for Infrastructure & Sustainability. The aim is to share common practices among the industry and have a big voice towards the energy providers. We are all in one boat to make the planet as nice as we have it for our next generations!The FREPENCA Sub-committee Lead for Infrastructure is pleased to share the highlights of their recent technical site visit. The team had the unique opportunity to go behind the scenes at the TNB PMU The Light, followed by an insightful boat tour to get a close-up view of the majestic transmission towers that bridge our energy needs.A Note of GratitudeThis visit would not have been possible without the incredible hospitality and expertise of TNB Penang. We would like to extend a special thank you to the TNB Penang General Manager En Wan, Account Manager Cik Maithily and the team for their comprehensive briefing and for facilitating such a high-access tour.We also want to thank the 15 FREPENCA member from various companies who joined us. Your active engagement and technical inquiries made this session a valuable knowledge-sharing platform for everyone involved.Technical Highlights: Strengthening the Island's GridThe visit provided a fascinating look into the operation of the Main Inlet Substation (PMU) The Light, which serves as a critical node in our regional power distribution. The centerpiece of the tour was the discussion surrounding the new 275kV overhead transmission line.This engineering marvel connects the Perai Power Station PMU directly to The Light PMU on the island. Key takeaways from our technical briefing include:• Massive Capacity: The new line boasts a transmission capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW), significantly bolstering the energy ceiling for the state.• Enhanced Reliability: Functioning as a vital additional supply route to Penang Island, this infrastructure ensures greater grid stability and supports the growing industrial and residential demand.• Strategic Connectivity: By linking the mainland's Perai Power Station to the island's heart, the project secures Penang's energy future for years to come.Understanding these infrastructure milestones is essential as we plan for the continued growth of our member companies and the region. We look forward to more \"boots-on-the-ground\" sessions as we explore the backbone of our local economy.
6FINANCIAL CHECK OF FREPENCATHROUGH MOHAFREPENCA recently underwent a random compliance audit conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), covering the association’s financial records and legal framework. We are pleased to share that the audit was completed successfully with no issues identified, reflecting FREPENCA’s strong governance and compliance standards.A special note of appreciation goes to our Secretary, Mr. KS Lim, whose dedication and meticulous work over the years have been instrumental in maintaining these high standards. Outstanding job and a well-deserved thank you!On 28 October, FREPENCA hosted a farewell lunch in appreciation of Tuan Idrus and his team from the Customs Department, marking his retirement and recognizing their long-standing cooperation with the association.Although Tuan Idrus was unable to attend due to a lastminute commitment, FREPENCA had the opportunity to present the farewell token to his deputy, Tuan Sanjilatheeban, on his behalf, conveying our sincere gratitude for his contributions and leadership over the yearsFREPENCA extends its best wishes to Tuan Idrus in his retirement and looks forward to continued collaboration with the Customs Department.FAREWELL FOR TUAN IDRUS
7FREPENCA OUTLOOK FOR 2026FREPENCA has finalized its key meetings and activities for 2026, as outlined in the table below. The calendar reflects our continued commitment to providing timely engagement, collaboration, and value-added initiatives for our members.Q1 | January – March• 9 Jan – Infra & Sustainability: Penang Mutiara Line LRT Briefing (B. Braun)• 8 Jan – Security Committee (SanDisk)• 6 Feb – Customs Committee (TBC)• 18 Mar – HR & EHS Committee (B. Braun)• 31 Mar – HR & EHS Committee (Globetronics)• 31 Mar – FREPENCA Annual General Meeting (AGM) (B. Braun)Q2 | April – June• 11 May – Customs Committee (TBC)• 20 May – Security Committee (TBC)• 21 May – Infra & Sustainability Engagement with PBA (TBC)• 30 Jun – HR & EHS Committee (TBC)• May – CEO Networking Lunch(Immigration / PGC / TNB)Q3 | July – September• 22 Jul – Security Committee (Syntiant)• 3 Aug – Customs Committee (TBC)• 17 Sep – Infra & Sustainability Engagement with PCG • (Environmental Stewardship)• 23 Sep – HR & EHS Committee (Bosch)• September – CEO Networking Lunch - (Customs / Labour Office / MIDA)Q4 | October – December• 5 Oct – Customs Committee (TBC)• 18 Nov – Security Committee (B. Braun)• 19 Nov – Infra & Sustainability: Biogas Plant Site Visit (TBC)• 8 Dec – HR & EHS Committee (TBC)• Date TBC – CM Meeting