KUALA LUMPUR, The government, through the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) Development Council (ECERDC), will continue to focus on attracting private investments and realising high-value investment projects in the region, especially the Pahang Technology Park (PTP) and Gambang Halal Park (GHP).
Deputy Economy Minister Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib said Synapse Network Sdn Bhd, a Malaysian registered entity of a Toronto, Canada-based company, has inked a 10-year lease agreement with ECERDC to transfer its existing operation from Hong Kong to PTP.
‘The company plans to begin construction on 1.21 hectares (three acres) at PTP in the fourth quarter of 2024 and has submitted an application for incentives to ECERDC, which is under consideration by the Finance Ministry,’ she said during a Special Chamber session in Parliament today.
Hanifah Hajar said ECERDC is in discussions with two other potential investors, including a Singapore-based company that operates six data centres in three Asian countries including Malay
sia.
‘This company is studying a business plan at PTP to construct and operate a 250-megawatt (MW) data centre and is expected to finalise its investment decision in the third quarter of 2025,’ she said.
The other potential investor, she said, is a joint venture between a local private company and the Pahang State Development Corporation that plans to build a 3MW data centre and is conducting a feasibility study which is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
Meanwhile, Perodua plans to develop a logistics and vehicle assembly hub on 8.9 hectares (22 acres) in ECER and use the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) Paya Besar Station as the mode of transport for distributing its vehicles in ECER, she said.
The car manufacturer also intends to use the Kuantan Port for shipping its vehicles to Sabah and Sarawak.
‘The discussion between ECERDC and Perodua is ongoing, and Perodua is studying its business and development plans, which are expected to be finalised in 2025,’ she explained.
On the investmen
t status of PTP’s Cybercentre, she said ECERDC’s subsidiary Asia Centre of Excellence for Smart Technologies (ACES) is working together with charge point operator Gentari for the operation of four electric vehicle (EV) charging locations, hence supporting the national agenda to increase EV usage.
Hanifah Hajar said ACES has also collaborated with CS Medtec, a local technology company involved in the medical field through innovative 3D printing, to move from Singapore and Thailand to Malaysia, specifically Cybercentre, to meet the increasing local market demand in the medical industry.
As for GHP, she said ECERDC is holding discussions with three potential investors to develop a recreational vehicle assembly hub for the Asian market, conduct food trading and public service activities, and develop a tropical seeds research park.
Hanifah Hajar said ECERDC also works closely with agencies such as Halal Development Corporation Bhd and the Pahang state government to bring in halal investments to GHP, especially
in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency
