LAUNCHING OF ANNUAL REPORT AND DINNER WITH PEMUDAH.

By        :   DATO' SRI MOHD NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK

Venue  :   KUALA LUMPUR CONVENTION CENTRE

Date    :   18/02/2011

Title    :    LAUNCHING OF ANNUAL REPORT AND DINNER WITH PEMUDAH

1.           Let me say I am delighted to be here this evening and this evening we are going to say a big “THANK YOU”. In fact more than that to pay tribute to a group of very special people. I know you have been working tirelessly behind the scenes over the past four years to change the country for the better, so tonight I want to give all of you – public and private sector members of PEMUDAH – the recognition that you truly deserve.

2.           PEMUDAH’s successes and there have been many would not have been possible without your dedication, your commitment, your deep conviction, and even in some cases your tenacity, and thirdly your perseverance, and above all your hard work and for that I want to say, quite simply, thank you and terima kasih.

3.           I also would like to thank and express my heartfelt gratitude to the civil service for their cooperation, and support in responding to the proposals and ideas generated from the Pemudah’s discussion. It is their dedication and support in implementing Pemudah’s initiatives that made all achievements that you have accomplished to date possible and successful.

4.           I know you have been buoyed in your endeavours by the enthusiasm of the many Malaysians who have responded so readily to your proposals and ideas. The ability to spark imaginations and to stimulate minds is indeed a rare gift indeed, and here I must pay tribute to the leadership of Tan Sri Sidek and Tan Sri Yong Poh Kong – a hugely dynamic and successful partnership and one for which I think that we should all be grateful.

5.           For another reason, I am delighted because I see in what PEMUDAH stands for and what it has accomplished embodies the philosophy of 1Malaysia – people first and performance now. Your membership is inclusive, your objectives are crystal clear, and your wide-ranged engagement with the people, with the business community in particular has brought together people from all back ground together. And you have listened to them, you have learned from them and you have made some very important strategic decisions that can lead Malaysia to become even more competitive. It has also brought about a very fundamental change, a change in the nature of relationship between the public and private sector– no longer the public sector views the private sector with suspicion but instead as partners; a shared project, a shared goal to be accomplished, and together you have pursued the goal that you have set for yourself.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

6.      I believe that in Pemudah’s meetings, Tan Sri Sidek often uses the art of metaphor, often peppering his remarks with insights and examples drawn from literature and Greek mythology. I’m not about to match him, but if you recall the tale of Sisyphus: that fallen king of legend whose punishment it was to roll a rock uphill for all eternity, only to see it roll back down each time – an allegory of pointless toil and, perhaps, man’s search for that elusive goal.

7.           Four years ago when you came together the challenges were clear; the way to solve them, not so. I am sure that at the time of your appointment to PEMUDAH some of you – especially those from the private sector – must have felt you were pushing the boulder of bureaucracy up the steep hill of progress only to see it roll back down time and time again.

8.           But like Sisyphus you persisted -- and unlike him, you found great meaning in your task. Also unlike the king of Greek mythology you had help, you had each other – and because you supported each other, you lifted together by so many willing hands and able hands, and thus the weight of the boulder grew lighter and lighter as you progress as partners. Yes, there were times when the rock broke free and rolled back down, but you didn’t give up instead together you pushed it up again – and that is what I mean by perseverance.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

9.      Over the past 4 years, PEMUDAH has taken great strides on many fronts. You have made huge important – and highly valued – contributions to reviews of trade and competition policy; you have been a driving force in setting up our country’s New Commercial Courts; and you have worked to improve the Malaysia My Second Home Programme and to overhaul procedures for the high-skilled immigration that will boost our knowledge economy.

10.       Your achievements did not stop there. Last year alone you worked with Government to reduce the time taken to register property from 41 days to just 1 day –from almost 6 weeks to just 24 hours; a quantum leap in terms of productivity.

11.    You reduced the time for the incorporation of companies from 11 days to just 1 - another substantial saving. You introduced the MyCoID, and a new points system to help decide who qualifies for Permanent Resident.

12.        And, not content on your success, you are now reaching for even greater heights, a more challenging one -- to review Malaysia’s Labour Laws, to make it more transparent, market-friendly public procurement system, and the continued liberalization of our country’s services sector.

13.        All of these initiatives will reduce time and will increase efficiency, but to do that you are having to confront age-old, entrenched processes and procedures –- and in particular dealing with people whose mindsets are mould in rather rigid ways. For that I would say, changing procedure and system is easier, but changing mindset is a gigantic task, it is like having to keep pushing the boulder up that hill.

14.        So I think no-one here tonight, no-one who has been engaged in the work so far, can doubt our ability to collaborate and to innovate which will play a vital role in tackling our future challenges. Malaysians today and quite rightly so, are more demanding, expectation has increased by leaps and bounds. And therefore we need to do things not as business as usual but as business unusual, to embrace change and even reform in a very fundamental and strategic way as well as in terms of the way we do things, the way we implement things.

15.        I am convinced as we move towards the attainment of a new knowledge economy, the role of Government and the public sector has to be fundamentally different than in the past, with all of us working harder than ever before to drive innovations in all sectors of society.

16.        So I am delighted to see PEMUDAH engaging directly with the individual members of the public sector through the PEMUDAH Challenge – challenging our country’s public servants to highlight processes and procedures, rules and regulations that are archaic or redundant, and to propose major changes. I know that already, just one month into the competition, you have received more than a thousand entries – and like you I am looking forward to the launch of PEMUDAH Challenge “Season 2”, taking the conversation one step further to ask the wider public for their ideas and suggestions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

17.    Our goal is to enhance Malaysia’s competitiveness; it is as simple as that. It is heartening to know that your drive for efficiency and progress has been recognized not simply here at home but right across the world. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of PEMUDAH and our public sector organisations, Malaysia improved its ranking in the World Bank Doing Business report, from 23rd to 21st position for 2010. Malaysia’s ranking also improved significantly from 18th position to 10th in the Institute of Management Development’s 2010 World Competitiveness Yearbook. They may not drive us, but these international rankings and comparisons will help us keep focused and help us keep score, and I certainly look forward to seeing further improvements in the year ahead.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

18.    They say a picture paints a thousand words, and when I was handed the advanced copy of your 2010 report, I saw the front cover a picture of a very intense boat race. I am trying to decipher and interpret the message of that. I suppose it is quite evident that is all about a race. A race to stay ahead so that we won’t be left behind; and a race for us to reach the finishing line soon or ahead of our competitors. 

19.    Such a closely fought race, in such a competitive environment, should of course only be entered because we have a clear strategy and because we prepared for it. I believe that if you want to enter a race you should be prepared for it. As a nation, we have strategized through the NEM, the 10th Malaysia Plan, the GTP and the ETP. We have trained and practiced through the labs. It is now time to execute and time to deliver – but our race towards our 2020 goals can only be won through collective and synchronised action. If we work in isolation and if we slow down – even just a little – we risk being left behind.

20.    That is why I am so pleased to see PEMUDAH working closely with PEMANDU and the new Talent Corp to ensure that our initiatives are moving ahead in sync – because it is going to take the skills and the talents of all those who care about our country to bring about the changes that we want to see: making Malaysia the preferred investment destination, making Malaysia a profitable place to do business for foreigners as well as all Malaysians, and for Malaysia to be a wonderful place to live.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

21.    The race is on, and I have no doubt that with your skills, your talents and your dedication it is one that we intend to win.

Thank you.

Wabillahi Taufik Walhidayah Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

PELANCARAN UNIT PENERAJU AGENDA BUMIPUTERA (TERAJU).

By       :   DATO' SRI MOHD NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK

Venue :   PUTRAJAYA

Date    :   08/02/2011

1.       Saya ingin memaklumkan bahawa Majlis Tindakan Agenda Bumiputera (MTAB) telah pun menubuhkan Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (TERAJU) bagi menerajui, mengurus serta memacu inisiatif bagi memperkukuhkan agenda pembangunan bumiputera.

2.       TERAJU terdiri daripada lima bahagian utama, setiap satu dipertanggungjawabkan untuk bidang berikut:

                        i.         Keusahawanan dan penciptaan kekayaan;

                      ii.         Pembiayaan;

                     iii.         Pendidikan dan Penggajian;

                    iv.         Penilaian Institusi & Instrumen Polisi; dan

                      v.         Pengurusan Stakeholder.

3.          Bagi memastikan pelaksanaan inisiatif Bumiputera yang efektif dan cekap, peranan TERAJU ditetapkan seperti berikut:

i.         Memastikan hasil yang pantas dan efektif – termasuk menilai semula inisiatif pembangunan Bumiputera yang sedia ada untuk memperkukuhkan keusahawanan Bumiputera, penyertaan di dalam pekerjaan berpendapatan tinggi dan pembangunan keupayaan untuk penciptaan serta pemilikan kekayaan;

ii.       Meningkatkan keberkesanan Institusi  –  Menilai institusi-institusi yang terlibat dengan Agenda Bumiputera untuk merasionalisasikan fungsi-fungsi institusi berkenaan demi memastikan setiap institusi mempunyai mandat, tumpuan serta tahap kemahiran yang diperlukan;

iii.      Program Pengurusan dan Sokongan Aktif – TERAJU akan bekerjasama dengan agensi-agensi berkaitan untuk mengenal pasti program-program baru, mengenal pasti serta menyelesaikan perkara yang mungkin menimbulkan masalah pelaksanaan, memberi cadangan kepada MTAB serta memantau status pelaksanaan; dan

iv.     Penilaian Keberkesanan – Memastikan aspirasi serta tumpuan kepada perkara yang perlu diberi fokus adalah jelas, iaitu penggajian, keusahawanan dan penciptaan kekayaan. Seterusnya TERAJU akan membuat penilaian impak ke atas inisiatif yang dilaksanakan serta memperbaiki strategi perlaksanaan, sekiranya perlu.

4.          TERAJU akan bekerjasama dengan agensi-agensi yang dikenalpasti bagi memantapkan inisiatif yang dilaksanakan, menilai program yang sedia ada serta menyelaraskan pelaksanaan program-program. Untuk lebih memahami isu-isu serta sentimen yang berkaitan, TERAJU  akan sentiasa bekerjasama dengan pihak NGO serta stakeholder yang lain dan akan memberi cadangan yang bersesuaian kepada MTAB. TERAJU telah pun mula merancang, serta melaksanakan Program Transformasi Agenda Bumiputera (PTAB), mirip kepada Program Transformasi GLC yang diperkenalkan pada tahun 2004.

5.          Encik Husni Salleh telah dilantik sebagai Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif TERAJU. Beliau merupakan bekas Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif MAVCAP, dan mempunyai lebih 20 tahun pengalaman di dalam bidang pelaburan serta Modal Teroka (Venture Capital).

6.          Selain itu, Urusetia Skim Jejak Jaya Bumiputera (SJJB) akan juga diletakkan di bawah TERAJU. Program SJJB ini merupakan salah satu agenda untuk mempertingkatkan kemampuan usahawan Melayu dalam bidang ekonomi khususnya dalam pemilikan ekuiti. Melalui SJJB, kerajaan ingin menambahkan lagi bilangan syarikat Bumiputera yang telah dan akan disenaraikan di Bursa Malaysia baik di papan Utama ataupun ACE. SJJB hari ini digerakkan oleh sebuah Urusetia di bawah Kementerian Kewangan.

7.          Setakat ini, sudah ada lima syarikat Bumiputera di bawah skim ini yang telah pun tersenarai di Bursa Malaysia. Syarikat-syarikat tersebut ialah Handal Resources Berhad, Lityan Holdings Berhad (sekarang dikenali sebagai Theta Edge Berhad), Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre Berhad, Cypark Resources Berhad dan Century Software Holdings Berhad. Pada tahun ini dijangkakan lima buah syarikat Bumiputera akan disenaraikan. Jumlah ‘market capitalization’ akan meningkat melebihi paras RM1 bilion pada tahun ini, dan kita berharap ini dapat digandakan kepada RM2 bilion pada pertengahan tahun hadapan.

THE MALIAU BASIN (Sabah's Lost World).

By       :     DATO' SRI MOHD NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK

Venue  :    MALIAU BASIN, SABAH

Date    :     29/01/2011

Title   :      OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE MALIAU BASIN STUDIES CENTRE AND LAUNCHING OF THE SAFE PROJECT.

1.                 It gives me great pleasure to participate in this historic occasion and to officially open the Maliau Basin Studies Centre and launch the Stability of Altered Forest Ecosystems Project - called the SAFE Project. We have the Sime Darby Foundation and The Royal Society’s South-East Asia Rainforest Research Programme (SEARRP) to thank for both of them.

2.                 I say historic because Maliau Basin, which is Sabah’s own Lost World, will become the centre of the world’s largest ecological experiment. It will provide the basis for a 10-year study into the impact of forest modifications - that is the impact of logging, deforestation and forest fragmentation on the functioning of tropical rainforests.

3.                 This long-term project, which is funded by the Sime Darby Foundation, involves renowned scientists from the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, which established SEARRP in 1985. It also involves researchers from the UK’s Imperial College and is supported by Sabah Foundation, which owns forest and plantation concessions in the Basin.

Ladies and gentlemen,

4.                 The Maliau Basin will become an integral part of this ecological experiment. It contains rare flora and fauna, including at least six types of pitcher plants, more than 80 species of orchids, the rare Rafflesia tengku-adlinii, and some of the world’s most rare and endangered wildlife species. These include the Sumatran Rhinoceros, Banteng, Orang Utan and Proboscis monkey.

5.                 Only 25 percent of Maliau Basin, which covers an area of over 58,000 hectares, has been explored to date. From major expeditions carried out in 1986, 1996, 2001 and 2005, we learned it likely has the greatest number of waterfalls anywhere in Malaysia, about 40 of them in all. These include the famous seven-tiered Maliau Falls and Sabah’s only ox-bow lake, called Lake Linumunsut.

6.                 This will provide a perfect setting for this long-term research project. Malaysia is one of 12 mega-biodiversity countries in the world. Such richness is supported by diverse habitats, especially the tropical rainforest on the Island of Borneo. Protecting pristine areas and bio-diversity conservation are critical global issues. The diversity and richness of this Land Below the Wind – as Sabah is known - is overwhelming.

7.                 With this appreciation of the uniqueness, diversity and values of our tropical rainforests, we must establish systems to protect these areas and their resources. This should be done both in-situ (in the original, natural place) and ex-situ (off-site, away from the natural habitat) in line with the Convention of Biological Diversity. Malaysia has taken the first step by becoming one of its signatory countries. The convention defines policies, strategies and obligations to improve conservation efforts.

8.                 By conserving and managing in these ways, we are maintaining the ecological processes and life support systems, preserving genetic diversity, and ensuring sustainable utilisation of species and ecosystems. This also maintains the wilderness for its scenic, cultural, educational, research, recreational and tourism benefits.

9.                 Conservation requires knowledge of the ecosystem. By strengthening our research into biodiversity and ecosystems and influencing factors, we will understand how to effectively protect them.

10.             Conservation requires funding, however. The private sector, both local and overseas, can play a significant role in sustaining and extending our conservation efforts. This will be crucial in making the Maliau Basin Studies Centre a premier facility for tropical rainforest research and scientific discovery in the region.

11.             In addition, the centre will contribute towards developing scientific information and a database for our growing biotechnology industry. By strengthening the capability of our scientists, they can be on par with the global scientific community.

12.             One of the concerns is the availability of local scientists to fully utilise the facilities. Perhaps MOSTI and other related agencies can take up the challenge and provide a mechanism to assist local scientists. Also, Malaysian institutions of higher learning and researchers from the Academy Sciences of Malaysia, the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia and the Forest Research Centre Sepilok could benefit from working here. We would like to involve them in conducting research in Sabah and, in particular, in the Maliau Basin Conservation Area.

13.             The SAFE Project, meanwhile, will also benefit Malaysia in other ways as the property rights to project findings, research and scientific papers, will be jointly owned by the parties involved. This includes Sime Darby Foundation and involved scientists.

14.             The project aligns with the Government’s commitment to conservation and helps to address other important issues the world is facing, namely climate change as a result of deforestation.

15.             I understand that at least three scientists or scholars and four of the eight PhD students involved in the research project will be Malaysians. In addition, most of the field research assistants will be Malaysians.

16.             This research will make a major contribution to the understanding of how biodiversity can be protected and maintained on plantations. It will also assess how to balance the economic benefits from the oil palm industry with the need for environmental conservation and sustainable development

.

17.             To date, no definitive study exists on the quantifiable impact of deforestation on wildlife, water quality, nutrient cycling and soil stability. At best, what we have are educated guesses which aren’t sufficient to make important decisions that affect our environment and lives.

18.             To address these questions properly, we need a large-scale, long-term ecological experiment like the SAFE Project. Over the next ten years, it will provide concrete answers to these questions and can offer modifications to the way we operate oil palm plantations.    

19.             In the meantime, the Malaysian Government and the Malaysian palm oil industry already are taking concerted actions to protect the environment and wildlife in Malaysia.

20.             Through the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, we established the Malaysian Palm Oil Wildlife Conservation Fund in 2006. It has initial funding of RM20 million, of which RM10 million was a grant from the Malaysian Government. The balance came from the palm oil industry.

21.             One of the objectives of this initiative is to study wildlife and biodiversity and ensure environmental conservation, while considering the overall impact of the palm oil industry on them. To date, here are examples of projects already funded by this initiative:

·          A Jungle Patrol to protect wildlife in forest reserves bordering oil palm plantations, in collaboration with the Sabah Forestry Department;

·          A biodiversity conservation study on ox-bow lakes on oil palm plantations, carried out by University Malaysia Sabah;

·          An Orang Utan infant care unit in Bukit Merah Lake Resort;

·          A survey of the Orang Utan population in Sabah, carried out by Borneo Conservation Trust, Sabah Wildlife Department and an NGO called HUTAN;

·          A study of elephant, human and wildlife conflicts in forest reserves bordering oil palm plantations by the Department of Wildlife Malaysia; and

·          Production of educational materials on wildlife conservation through collaborations with Tabin Wildlife Sanctuary and Sabah Forestry Department.

22.             The Malaysian Government fully supports this noble initiative by Sime Darby Foundation, SEARRP and the Sabah Foundation. It aligns well with the objectives of the National Policy on the Environment, which was designed to promote environmentally sound and sustainable development.

23.             On behalf of the Malaysian Government, I would like to thank Sime Darby Foundation, SEARRP and Sabah Foundation for their efforts in finding answers to these important questions and improving our understanding of ways to protect our forests and the environment.

24.             I hope other private sector companies will follow the footsteps of Sime Darby Foundation and Sabah Foundation. The Government fully supports these initiatives, as we believe future generations have a right to enjoy these natural blessings of the Almighty.

25.             With that, I now officially open the Maliau Basin Research Studies Centre and launch the SAFE Project of Sime Darby and SEARRP.

Thank you.

PENAMATAN KONSESI TOL UNTUK LEBUHRAYA HUBUNGAN TIMUR-BARAT.

By      : DATO' SRI MOHD NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK
Venue   : PUTRAJAYA
Date      : 28/01/2011

1.      Sebagaimana kita sedia maklum, adalah menjadi hasrat kerajaan untuk mengkaji semula kos sara hidup termasuk soal belanja pengangkutan sebagai satu cara mengurangkan bebanan rakyat. Semakan semula kos pengangkutan ini perlu dilaksanakan dengan berhemah dan betul demi masa hadapan negara.

2.           Sejajar dengan itu dan atas semangat 1MALAYSIA, yang mana RAKYAT DIDAHULUKAN DAN PENCAPAIAN DIUTAMAKAN, saya telah meminta para pemegang konsesi tol  mengkaji semula struktur tol bagi konsesi masing-masing sebagai langkah membantu kerajaan memakmurkan negara dan mengurangkan bebanan rakyat. Menyahut seruan kerajaan ini, dua orang ahli korporat yang juga pemegang saham terbesar sebuah syarikat konsesi tol telah tampil mengemukakan satu cadangan penstrukturan tol melalui perolehan aset-aset konsesi yang akan memberi impak yang besar kepada rakyat.

3.      Berdasarkan cadangan ini, saya dengan sukacitanya ingin memaklumkan bahawa TIDAK ADA KENAIKAN TOL untuk 5 TAHUN AKAN DATANG bagi Lebuhraya Kuala Lumpur - Karak dan Lebuhraya Pantai Timur Fasa 1 yang dicadangkan bakal dimiliki oleh dua orang ahli korporat tersebut. Di samping itu, saya telah meminta supaya TEMPOH KONSESI TIDAK DILANJUTKAN dan yang lebih penting lagi TIADA PAMPASAN AKAN DIBERI OLEH KERAJAAN untuk semakan tol yang tertunggak.

4.      Cadangan ini juga akan membawa kepada PENAMATAN KONSESI TOL untuk Lebuhraya Hubungan Timur-Barat, yang menghubungkan Persilangan Salak dan Persilangan Taman Connaught, Kuala Lumpur. Ini adalah PENUTUPAN LEBIH AWAL daripada tempoh yang sepatutnya iaitu tahun 2018, lanjutan dari cadangan pengambilalihan aset-aset konsesi tersebut. Ini bermakna, PENGGUNA LEBUHRAYA TERSEBUT TIDAK PERLU LAGI MEMBAYAR TOL. Tarikh implementasi penutupan tol walau bagaimanapun, akan berkuatkuasa setelah urusan dokumentasinya selesai, dijangka dalam bulan Mei 2011. Saya difahamkan INISIATIF PENUTUPAN AWAL TOL INI AKAN MEMBERI MANFAAT KEPADA KIRA-KIRA 39 JUTA PENGGUNA LEBUH RAYA tersebut.Inisiatif ini adalah manifestasi kesungguhan kerajaan untuk mencari penyelesaian berhemah dalam isu tol.

5.      Saya juga ingin menyeru agar inisiatif sebegini dapat dicontohi oleh syarikat pemegang konsesi yang lain demi kepentingan rakyat.

ETP IN OVERDRIVE WITH 19 DEVELOPMENTS WORTH RM67 BILLION MAJOR INVESTMENTS IN OIL, GAS & ENERGY, BUSINESS SERVICES, HEALTHCARE.

By           : DATO' SRI MOHD NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK

Venue  : PUTRAJAYA

Date      : 11/01/2011

Putrajaya, 11 January 2011 – The Prime Minister of Malaysia today announced 19 Entry Point Projects and developments, following 18 others that have been announced since the launch of the Economic Transformation Programme.

“The Economic Transformation Programme has started the year with a bang by switching into overdrive and surging ahead with more Entry Point Projects and developments, as we approach the 100-day mark since we launch the programme. This time around, the 19 Entry Point Projects and developments will come from 10 National Key Economic Areas. Combined, they will contribute almost RM67 billion in investment, RM36 billion in gross national income and 35,000 new jobs,” said Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak.

Leading the announcement are four Entry Point Projects and developments under the Oil, Gas & Energy National Key Economic Area.

Following through from the announcement of new tax incentives under the Petroleum Income Tax Act (PITA) in November 2010, ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia Inc., in conjunction with its production sharing contract partner, Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, plans to invest over RM10 billion in new oil and gas assets to help ensure reliable and sustainable energy supplies for Malaysia.

“This capital expenditure commitment will be utilised to rejuvenate mature facilities and undertake enhanced oil recovery activities in the Tapis field and the Telok gas development project. Located offshore Peninsular Malaysia, the Telok project is being developed under a gas production sharing contract to provide additional supplies for Malaysia's power and industrial needs and will promote organic growth of the natural gas sector,” said Najib.

Shell Malaysia will be investing RM5.1 billion on upgrading and expanding existing facilities, and building new facilities in upstream, midstream and downstream activities across Malaysia. This includes the expansion of the Shell MDS wax plant in Bintulu, a new biodiesel processing unit at the Shell Refinery in Port Dickson and the Gumusut deepwater development offshore Sabah.

Dialog Group Berhad, along with the State Government of Johor and Vopak, will be developing a RM5 billion independent deepwater petroleum terminal project at Pengerang, Johor. The hub will have a total petroleum storage capacity of five million cubic metres, and is expected to generate RM1.6 billion in gross national income by 2020.

“This project will catapult Malaysia into the ranks of a regional oil storage hub. I expect significant multiplier effects from the Pengerang project to cascade to the entire economy,” he added.

Rounding up the investments in energy is the establishment of Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation Energy to study the possibility of deploying nuclear energy to meet future demand and diversify the energy mix for Peninsular Malaysia.

“I am pleased to announce the formation of the Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation as well as Dr Mohd Zamzam bin Jaafar as its Chief Executive Officer. Dr Mohd Zamzam will lead the planning based on the current development timeline of 11 to 12 years, from pre-project to commissioning,” said Najib. 

The aspiration to establish Malaysia as a world-class data centre hub under the Business Services National Key Economic Area received a major boost with MyTelehaus, CSF Group and Teliti Data investing over RM671 million collectively to develop new and upgrade existing facilities to supply 475,000 square feet of data centre floor space to cater to the increased demand.

In the healthcare sector, UM Holdings Sdn Bhd, a corporation wholly-owned by Universiti Malaya, will establish the Universiti Malaya Healthcare Metropolis in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. With an investment of RM1.25 billion, the two-million square feet purpose-built facility to be developed in collaboration with 32 healthcare, academic and technology partners, integrates healthcare, bio-research and post-graduate education.

“The project aims to elevate the standards and quality in these areas to be among the best in the world. It is benchmarked against Harvard’s Longwood Medical Centre and Stanford’s Bio-X Centre, two of the global best-in-class examples,” added the Prime Minister.

In addition, Hovid Berhad, a home-grown pharmaceutical company, has entered into a joint venture with Winthrop Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Sanofi-Aventis, a global pharmaceutical company to manufacture and supply generic drugs for diabetes and pain management worth RM50 million over the next five years. This generics export initiative is the first step for Malaysia to tap the global market worth RM435 billion over the next 10 years, catalysed by the patent expiration of major blockbuster drugs.  

The tourism sector will see two new hospitality developments. RM1billion will be invested by Teluk Datai Resort Sdn Bhd and its partners to expand and upgrade existing facilities and construct new hotels in Pulau Langkawi, while the YTL Group is investing RM75 million to develop a deluxe family resort in Pulau Gaya, off the coast of Kota Kinabalu.

The AUO SunPower solar cell fabrication facility in Melaka, a joint venture between SunPower Corporation of the USA and AU Optronics Corporation of Taiwan, opened by the Prime Minister recently, is scheduled to be fully operational in 2013. The RM2.2 billion facility is expected to produce high-efficiency solar cells that generate more than 1,400 megawatts annually.

In the agriculture sector, Terengganu State Development has received approval to develop a High-Value Herbal Plantation in Pasir Raja, to cultivate herbs that are in high demand. This project is a crucial step to ensure the availability of a ready source of raw material as Malaysia moves up the value chain to become a leader in the production of nutraceuticals and botanical drugs. It will contribute about RM2.2 billion in gross national income by 2020.

In Communications Content and Infrastructure, SelecTV is set to invest RM30 million to create an internet protocol TV (IPTV) platform, to distribute Malaysian content to about 20,000 hotel rooms in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Middle East. This project will see a gross national income of RM90 million by 2020.

The wholesale and retail sector will see the MINES Resort City transformed into MINES Wellness City, an integrated health and wellness Resort. With an investment of approximately RM3 billion by 2020, this project will contribute about RM5 billion in gross national income over the next 10 years.

To achieve the target of a 40% skilled workforce by 2020, Jabatan Pembangunan Kemahiran will launch Skills Malaysia 2011, an initiative to raise awareness and showcase the vocational opportunities for students who have completed their SPM and upgrades for unskilled workers. This initiative is a component of the larger Entry Point Project on private skill training provision that is expected to generate RM2.1 billion in gross national income in 2020 and creating 12,400 jobs in the process.

Key to the success of the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley NKEA is the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Talent Corporation Entry Point Projects. MRT will increase connectivity within the area which is critical for urban growth and improved productivity. The project will employ about 130,000 people at its peak construction phase, with a significant multiplier impact on associated industries. The investment of RM36.6 billion will see an incremental gross national income contribution of RM21.3 billion in 2020.

Meanwhile, Talent Corporation, a new government agency under the stewardship of Johan Mahmood Merican as the Chief Executive Officer, is tasked to strategise and implement initiatives to engage and attract the best talents required to fill the 3.3 million positions that will be created by the various National Key Economic Areas.

Guocoland Berhad will invest RM1.9 billion in an integrated development called DAMANSARA CITY 2 located in Pusat Bandar Damansara. Comprising two office blocks of 560,000 and 285,000 square feet each, 290,000 square feet in retail space as well as a 300-room hotel and a 260-unit serviced apartment block, this project is expected to be launched this year.

“By kick-starting these projects as well as the earlier announced projects, the economic effects will soon be tangible. We are completely focused on results and by delivering them, I hope to galvanise the majority of Malaysians who are believers and also convert the minority naysayers to join this cause. After all, this is a national transformation agenda and we must get everyone on board, in the true spirit of 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now,” said Najib.

-Ends-

About the Economic Transformation Programme

The Economic Transformation Programme is a focused, inclusive and sustainable initiative that will transform Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020. It is driven by 12 National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs): Oil, Gas and Energy; Palm Oil; Financial Services; Wholesale and Retail; Tourism; Business Services; Electrical and Electronics; Communications Content and Infrastructure; Healthcare; Education; Agriculture; and Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley.

131 entry point projects (EPPs) have been clearly outlined within these sectors to grow our economy. These Entry Point Projects (EPPs) within the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) will lead Malaysia towards achieving a high-income nation status with a per capita income of RM48,000 (USD15,000) and create more than 3.3 million new jobs by 2020, throughout the country.