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KULIM HI-TECH PARK INCREASINGLY BEING RECOGNISED BY MNCS |
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KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (Bernama) -- Kulim High Technology Park is increasingly being recognised by multinational corporations (MNCs), including those from Japan, the United States, Germany, Singapore and West Asia.
'Things are pretty good now for the park, mainly because of the success stories of those MNCs that already have operations here,' said Kulim Technology Park Corporation Bhd (KTPC)'s public relations manager Patrick Teh.
Since 1996, the technology park has attracted 35 companies with initial investments of RM21 billion in the manufacturing sector and its support services, he said.
Teh named Intel Products, Fuji Electric, Silterra, BASF Electronic Chemicals, Infineon and AIC Semiconductor as some of the MNCs located in the technology park.
These companies, he said, bring to the country state-of-the-art technology and are now offering employment to 14,000 people.
'One good thing about these MNCs is that wherever they go they bring with them a cluster of support services that generate wider economy benefits,' he added.
The Government's decision in the late 1980s to boost the manufacturing sector was carried out by dovetailing on certain high-technology industries, and promoting high value-added industrialisation together with research and development.
Kulim, a district in Kedah, was selected as the site for a high technology park and in 1996, the Kulim High Technology Park was launched.
KTPC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Kedah state government development arm, Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Kedah, serves as the developer and manager of the technology park.
By end of 2007, two or three more new companies are expected to come in, bringing in about RM3 billion in investment, Teh told Bernama on the sidelines of the Malaysian trade and investment mission to Toronto in Canada, and San Francisco and Irvine in California, US.
The 49-member trade mission, which ended on May 11, was led by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz.
The mission comprised representatives from the private sector, Rafidah's ministry, Malaysian Industrial Development Authority, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, state governments of Penang, Perak, Kedah, Sabah and Selangor, and Multimedia Development Corporation Malaysia.
Going forward, about 800 hectares have been earmarked as new industrial land due to the high demand that the technology park has been receiving, Teh said.
'We, in fact, have started work on the third phase of the industrial zone. We are starting to acquire more land adjourning the park,' he said.
Source: BERNAMA |
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