The Star, 23 April, 2007

Pahang to set up firm to expand new growth sectors

Kuantan: Pahang has approved the setting up of Pahang Technology Resources Sdn Bhd, a government-linked company that will focus on expanding biotechnology and information, technology and communication industry. 

State Science, Innovation, Information and Information Technology Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Sharkar Shamsuddin said among the initial steps taken was the development of the Pahang Technology Park that would act as a catalyst to spur high-tech related industries. 

"It will be the first of such parks in the east coast region," he said in his winding-up speech on the motion of thanks to the royal address here.  

He said the state had also received an allocation of RM1mil from the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry to finance a research and development project on haruan (a freshwater fish) for biomedical products led by Prof Dr Abdul Manan Jais from Universiti Malaysia Pahang. 

Mohd Sharkar also said part of the plan was to ensure ICT was moving in the right direction. 

"A masterplan on a Cyber Centre is already completed and it is part of the efforts to ensure that biotechnology and ICT industries generate income for the state. 

"The Cyber Centre will serve as an ICT hub for the eastern region and it will be launched soon." 

Investors would be invited to set up operations in Cyber Centre that covered three areas - Kuantan, Gambang and Tanjung Lumpur, said Mohd Sharkar. 

He also said that under the masterplan, the state has estimated investments worth RM170mil to be based in Cyber Centre between this year and 2012. 

During the question-and-answer session earlier, Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Tan Aminuddin Ishak said the International Trade and Industry Ministry had approved manufacturing licences totalling 363 projects with investments worth RM22,347.97mil from 1987 until September last year. 

"The projects have created 61,356 job opportunities," Tan Aminuddin said when replying to a written question by Datuk Ti Lian Ker (BN-Teruntum). 

Of the total investments, foreign investment was RM13,360.41mil while domestic investment was RM8,987.56mil, he added. 

He said topping the list of foreign investors were Germany (RM3.34bil), the United States (RM2.41bil) and Britain (RM2.37bil).