PENANG, July 10 — In a bid to attract more human resources and capital, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said today that there were currently 20,000 job vacancies in the state waiting to be filled as the electronics sector has swung back strongly.
Lim also welcomed Malaysians from other states to come and work in Penang, and claimed that the unemployment problems under the Barisan Nasional (BN) state government before 2008 were solved soon after Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took over the helm of the state.
“The Pakatan Rakyat government was formed in March 2008 amid an environment where there was a severe shortage of [work] in Penang. Now there are currently 20,000 job vacancies and we welcome Malaysians from other states who are looking for employment to come to Penang and work,” said the DAP secretary-general.
In his speech to commemorate the Penang Governor’s Birthday today, Lim reiterated his administration’s stand on increasing the state’s human resources as a means to propel Penang forward as an “international city, high-income and knowledge economy” by the year 2020.
“The building of human resources and its maintenance is extremely important as it is a critical factor that determines the success of an economy.
“Any state which does not place utmost importance on human resources is committing slow-motion suicide. It is irrational to allow or encourage a further outflow of local talent overseas, especially to Singapore. This cannot go on.
“If we want to increase our Gross National Product to US$15,000 (RM48,000) it has to be through three aspects — building and maintaining our human resources, eradicating poverty and ensuring constant, stable growth,” said Lim.
The Malaysian Insider had reported earlier today that Japanese electronics giant Ibiden Co Ltd is investing RM1.2 billion for a printed circuit board plant at the Penang Science Park in Bukit Minyak, Bukit Mertajam.
Ibiden is hiring 900 engineers, technicians and operators, some of whom will be sent to Japan for three years’ training.
Lim said that the PR state government had taken numerous steps to ensure the sustenance of its human resources through RM11.3 million in allocations to religious schools and the building of a CAT (Competency, Accountability and Transparency) centre for job opportunities.
An Educational Excellence Hub, costing RM150 million, has also been built in Balik Pulau along with a Penang Science Council which is 100 per cent industry-driven.
Lim claimed that this move, a “first of its kind in Malaysia initiated by any state”, will transform Penang into a “scientific and technological hub of excellence.”
Another push for job opportunities in the state was the increase in Penang’s tourism industry, where it had received 2.97 million foreign tourists in 2009 compared to 2.81 million tourists in 2008.
“After a long time, the tourism industry is now the second biggest contributor to Penang’s gross domestic income and is expected to further contribute to the state’s socio-economical growth. It is the state government’s wish to upgrade the image of Penang as a tourist destination on an international level.
“For this purpose, the state government has allocated RM8.8 million for the development of tourism projects in 2010 and RM1 million in [the] development of various heritage sites.
“The George Town festival to celebrate Unesco’s World Heritage Day had received great response, with the participation of local and international artistes. The state government is also planning on building an International Gallery in PISA which will cost RM50 million,” said the chief minister.
It is understood that the Penang government has also allocated an estimated RM379 million for the upgrading and development of 366 projects in the state for the year 2010.
