News Room - Business/Economics

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir today tabled the state's five-year development plan under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP) at the State Legislative Assembly here.

He cited seven core thrusts for the state including acceleration of economic growth through new networks towards realisation of the 'Perak Amanjaya dan Wawasan 2020' Development Plan.

The Perak government would rope in foreign investors and the private sector other than public funds to finance and achieve its aspirations.

Every strata of society is expected to benefit from the inclusive and sustainable development which is also aimed at empowering human capital as catalysts in economic growth and wellbeing of the people.

Zambry said the state's economic development corridor would focus on southern Perak (WPS) based on a master plan, encompassing two districts Batang Padang and Hilir Perak involving 450,000 hectares.

The main component of the WPS is the Perak Eco Industrial Hub sited on 1,376 hectares of reclaimed land at Mukim Rungkup comprising a terminal, iron and steel integrated industry and other supporting industries.

Another component of the WPS is the Rungkup Terminal City covering 1,638 hectares involving a terminal, integrated sea transport facilities and mixed development projects.

Zamry said a Coastal Terminal and Jetty Development Corporation would be set up to develop 230 kilometres of coastal areas with Lumut as the port of call, Pulau Pangkor as a tourism city and Teluk Batik and Teluk Senangin as seaside resorts.

He said the state government had also obtained approval from the federal government to create a new district, 'Daerah Mua'llim', in line with the rapid development of Tanjung Malim.

T-City comprising mixed development of a 172.5-hectare area in the Kinta and Kampar districts will potentially see materialisation of a Formula 2 Circuit, an automotive factory outlet, street Malls and hotels.

The Warisan Perdana Ipoh or Ipoh Sentral project will be initiated in the 11MP to rebuild the golden triangle of Kinta Valley with an estimated investment of RM2 billion and expected to be the new landmark for Ipoh City.

On public infrastructure, Zambry said the state government and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad would build a railway linking Kampar, Batu Gajah, Ipoh and Sungai Siput to facilitate movement in the city.

The state government had also proposed the upgrading of the road from Simpang Empat Hutan Melintang to Bagan Datoh and construction of a new road from Jalan Paku to Kampung Koh and onwards to Kampung Baru Menderang, Sungkai.

New roads will be built at Jalan Sungai Ipil/Sungai Dulang in Daerah Hilir Perak, and from Kampung Baru to Kampung Telok in Manjung.

Aside from that, the Banting-Taiping west coast expressway stretching 233 kilometres (involving 172 kilometres in Perak) with 11 junctions will become the alternative to the north-south expressway which is constantly congested particularly during the weekends and festive seasons.

The menteri besar said the federal government had approved the upgrading of the Lumut-Taiping federal road (FT60) Phase 1 and 2 from Segari to Pantai Remis in the 11MP.

On industry, he said the state government planned to build the Ipoh Aerospace Park near Sultan Azlan Shah Airport in view of the lack of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in Malaysia.

Aside from that, the Kampung Acheh Free Zone (KAFZ), to be built near the Lumut Maritime Terminal had also been proposed, to facilitate import-export of cargo.

Lembah Beriah Metroplis City which has components for commercial and industrial development will have a UKM branch campus for collaboration with factories and serve as a faculty as well as an industrial training centre.

The Batu Gajah Locomotive Hub has been proposed for the CSR Rolling Stock Centre in which factories would produce locomotive components and provide MRO services for the country.

An 81-ha Green Asia Aerospace Technology Park has also been proposed in Seri Iskandar as an aerospace hub for 20 major companies and 60 small-medium industries, which would potentially open up 2,000 employment opportunities.

A Proton City Automotive Hub in Tanjung Malim is another project proposed by the state government in the 11MP.

Zambry said programmes such as Mikro Kredit, Kiosk Amanjaya and Bantuan Rumah programmes coordinated by Yayasan Bina Upaya to eradicate poverty aside from federal programmes to enhance the target groups' livelihood and 1Azam, would continue.

Entrepreneurial programmes that would be empowered in the 11MP are Tunas Niaga (Protune), Agropreneur Muda, Mikro Kredit Amanjaya Belia Niaga, Skim Pembiayaan Kluster Ekonomi Keluarga Amanjaya and Transformasi Kedai Runcit (TUKAR) by Yayasan Bina Upaya.

The Entrepreneurial Development Centre at Meru Raya to be built by the Perak State Development Corporation will be made a one-stop centre for entrepreneurial activities in the state.

A new hospital, 'Hospital Seri Iskandar' has also been planned, while construction of Hospital Parit Buntar and Hospital Kampar that had been announced earlier would be implemented in the 11MP.

Also, Hospital Manjung and Manjoi health clinic would be upgraded while the women and children's block for Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun which is under construction is expected to be completed within the 11MP.

On education, Zambry said the state government planned to build a 'University College Sedaya International (UCSI) in Seri Iskandar; a fully residential school in Segari as well as five Tahfiz Darul Ridzuan secondary schools in Selama, Lenggong, Bagan Datoh, Sungai Siput and Gunung Semanggol.

Several large-scale developments to improve and guarantee food sustainability such as vegetable production and agrotourism would be initiated by the Perak State Agricultural Development Corporation.

The corporation will also establish a Lenggong Agro Valley and herbal park as well as increase the number of Permanent Food Park at Bukit Sapi, Perlop and Degong.

Zamry said the state goverment had set aside for the first time, an allocation for the Fisheries Department to monitor the development of inland fishery in light of the various threats that had depleted fish resources.

For housing, the state government planned to set up the Perak Housing and Property Board targetting five people's housing projects and one housing project for 1Malaysia civil servants totaling 1,600 inits in six locations.

For tourism, Zambry said a plan to develop Hulu Perak-Belum-Lenggong-Banding had also been proposed in efforts to get recognition for Royal Belum which is more than 130 million years old, as a Unesco world heritage site.

The aim is to transform Royal Belum into an eco-tourism resort and retreat centre for world leaders and international companies.

The state government also planned to build four and five star hotels within Perak's tourism belt including Ipoh.

On environment and forestry, Zamry said at least five million trees would be planted in the next five years and the 'living collection centre' in the ecology corridor stretching 24.28 hectares (60 acres), would be cultivated with endangered plants, with the cooperation of the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM).

He said the state government was also committed to gazetting 50 per cent of the state's forests as permanent forest reserves, while the wildlife conservation centre in Sungkai would be upgraded as an international conservation centre that would function as a reference and eco tourism centre.

Zambry said the state government also planned to build two Syariah courts in Larut Matang and Selama and Hilir Perak aside from an education centre for senior citizens.