1st Silicon Appoints Vice President of Marketing.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

KUCHING, SARAWAK, Malaysia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2000

1st Silicon (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. today announced the appointment of S.Y. Tan-Stahel as the company's Vice President of Marketing.

In this capacity, S.Y. will report to Claudio G. Loddo, chief executive officer of the Malaysian Semiconductor foundry, and will be based at the company's U.S. subsidiary in San Jose, Calif.

Commenting on this appointment, Loddo said, "We are exceedingly pleased to add S.Y. to what is becoming the superb executive team. She is a well-respected and seasoned professional in the industry who brings a wealth of strategic foundry marketing experience to our growing organization. Our team has the vision, insights and dedication to offer a new wafer source to the semiconductor industry, and the experience and commitment to be a solid manufacturing partner and foundry of choice."

In her new position, S.Y. will be responsible for formulating and leading the company's worldwide marketing initiatives, including strategic and tactical programs, marketing communications, alliances and community development.

S.Y. brings over 18 years of semiconductor development and marketing experience to 1st Silicon. Most recently, she was a consultant to the company through her firm, Aurora Marketing. Earlier, S.Y. spent four years with Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing where she was director of Marketing. Before Chartered, she held marketing and engineering positions with Compass Design Automation, PL International and Fairchild Semiconductor.

S.Y. holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree with distinction and an MSEE from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. She later did post graduate work at MIT as a Fellow in the Center for Advanced Engineering Study, and she received an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix in the U.S.A. S.Y., a native of Malaysia's State of Sarawak, resides in Santa Clara County, Calif.

About 1st Silicon (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

1st Silicon is a dedicated semiconductor foundry founded in 1998 by the Malaysian State of Sarawak. 1st Silicon's 200mm wafer fab with an ultimate capacity of 30K wafers per month will be operational in Q3 2000. The facility will commence production with 0.25um digital and mixed signal CMOS technology, followed by 0.18um and below. Sharp is 1st Silicon's technology partner as well as first customer. The company is headquartered in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, with a subsidiary in San Jose. Homepage: www.1stsilicon.com

Notes to Editors:

1. "1st Silicon" and the 1st Silicon logo are trademarks belonging to 1st Silicon (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

2. U.S. press inquiries should be directed to Kim Alfaro, The Leapfrog Group, 1812 Webster St., San Francisco, CA 94115, USA. Telephone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail]

3. All International press inquiries should be directed to Allen R. Sangco, 1st Silicon (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Level 2, Riverbank Tower, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia; Telephone: [phone], fax [phone]; email: [e-mail]