In an email to FMT, Sony EMCS (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd said 3,600 workers would be affected by the closure. It did not indicate if the employees would be retrenched.

Last week, a Penang official said 3,400 workers are set to be laid off from the company, prompting the state government to launch a programme to find jobs for those retrenched.

The company’s human resources chief Ric Ong said the closure and relocation to Selangor was to “further enhance operational efficiency”.

“Sony has always taken into account market conditions, business growth potential, and other factors as part of a continuous review of its investments and business operations.

“As part of this review, Sony will consolidate its manufacturing operations by transferring its Penang facility to Selangor by the end of September 2021 to further enhance operational efficiency.

“Approximately, 3,600 employees in Penang will be impacted by the closure,” he said in the email.

The state attracted RM1.5 billion worth of investments in the manufacturing sector in the third quarter of this year, carrying on with its bullish investment inflow with over RM10 billion in investments recorded earlier this year, even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.