Wooing local investors to Iskandar region

Wooing local investors to Iskandar region

By BUSINESS TIMES

WITH all eyes on Johor Baru and its potential as a global investment destination, Malaysia's southern region has become a magnet to domestic and foreign investments.

While the Iskandar Development Region (Iskandar), a catalyst to the region's development, is already attracting the interest of Middle East investors and elsewhere, the investment opportunities for domestic industries are aplenty.

The Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (Mida), in a move to highlight the investment opportunities available to investors in the southern region, is holding a two-day seminar in Johor Baru on April 23 and 24. It is jointly organised by the Small and Medium Industries Development Corp (Smidec).

Mida deputy director general II Jalilah Baba said the Southern Region Investment and Trade dialogue and seminar on the manufacturing and services sectors will enable the business communities in Johor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan to grow their businesses.

"Domestic investors could look to setting up supporting industries for high-value products for the export market as well as take advantage of the facilities which are of international standard," she told Business Times in an interview in Kuala Lumpur.

The southern region is poised to see growth in the services sector, especially in education, healthcare, tourism, information and communication technology, and multimedia and logistics.

To be held at the swanky new Persada Johor International Convention Centre, the event will also provide a forum for the southern business community to network with key government agencies and officials.

The event, will be attended by the International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz and Menteris Besar of Johor, Negri Sembilan and Malacca.

Similar events were held in Malacca and Seremban in 2005 and 2004 respectively.

Apart from providing an update on investment opportunities in the manufacturing and services sectors by Mida, small and medium enterprises will also benefit from the session on building their international competitiveness by Smidec.

The financial sector is also providing its support through sessions with the Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority, RHB Bank Bhd, EXIM Bank and the Malaysian Technology Development Corp Sdn Bhd.

Blue-chip giants Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Telekom Malaysia Bhd will also be participating in one of the sessions. Investment opportunities in the biotechnology industry and healthcare services will be provided by the Malaysian Biotechnology Corp and KPJ Healthcare Bhd respectively.