By ZAZALI MUSA zaza@thestar.com.my Jul 5, 2010
PASIR GUDANG: Iskandar Malaysia (IM) has received RM4.62bil new investments in the first five months of the year in the manufacturing, services and information and communication technology (ICT) sectors.
Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) chief executive officer Ismail Ibrahim said the investments were made by both locals and foreigners.
He declined to divulge the identity of the investors and the countries, saying only that they would be made known to the press at the appropriate time.
Ismail said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak or Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, the co-chairmen of IRDA, was likely to make the announcement on the new investments soon.
“Similarly, we expect more investments to come from Singapore following the improvement in the bilateral ties between Malaysia and Singapore,” he said.
Ismail was speaking to reporters at the launch of the Iskandar Malaysia Open Day in Pasir Gudang Town Centre by Johor state secretary Datuk Abdul Latiff Yusof on Saturday.
He said apart from Singaporean investors, IM also expected investments from Indonesian investors following the three-day working visit by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to Jakarta last week.
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed was cited in news reports in May this year as saying that at least 15 American companies had also conveyed their interest to invest in IM following his visit to the United States.
On the allocation for infrastructure projects slated for the 10th Malaysia Plan (10MP) in IM, Ismail said Najib would announce the allocation and details of the projects when he tables Budget 2011 later this year.
