KUALA TERENGGANU, Nov 9 — Terengganu has attracted RM20.4 billion in private investment since the setting up of the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) development corridor, creating about 10,850 job opportunities and nearly 800 entrepreneurs in the state, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.

“The investors are from high-technology industries including the biotechnology sector, with an emphasis on environmentally-friendly practices,” he said at the ECER open day here today.

The Kertih Biopolymer Park in an ECER special economic zone has elevated Malaysia into a regional biotechnology hub with the presence of world biotechnology players like CJ CheilJedang, Arkema and Gevo, he said.

Another project by the ECER Development Council (ECERDC), the Kemaman Heavy Industry Park in Telok Kalong, has attracted investments from Eastern Still, a joint venture between Hiap Teck Venture Bhd and Shougang Corporation, one of China’s integrated steel companies.

The park will focus on iron and steel fabrication, while at Pulau Kucing, a boat building and repair centre will be established, both in support of the nation’s oil and gas industry.

Such investments in the state create spin-off business and entrepreneurship opportunities for locals in property development, logistics, training and other professional services, he said.

Ahmad said a goat research and production centre in Kuala Berang is scheduled to begin operations early next year, while 10 high-value plants (mengkudu, hempedu bumi, tongkat ali, kacip fatimah, dukung anak, misai kucing, ginger, myrtle lemon, gaharu and roselle) will be cultivated in the herbal park in Pasir Raja to support the halal food and drinks as well as pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors.

ECERDC has introduced several social development programmes in the state such as Empower ECER, entrepreneurship development and the Besut-Setiu agropolitan scheme, he said.

Ahmad said the Empower ECER human capital development scheme has benefited 1,200 students in the state, and all 800 of those who sat for the UPSR, PMR and SPM examinations in 2011 and 2012 recorded 100 per cent pass rates and 296 obtained five or more distinctions.

This year, he said, 400 students from the state have been chosen for the Empower programme, which has also trained 1,300 Terengganu residents to be cooks, hair stylists, handphone repairers and receptionists.

Since its launch in the state in 2011, Empower has created 634 entrepreneurs. Participants of its skills and entrepreneurship courses in the state now earn an average monthly income of RM1,200, with some earning up to RM7,000.

Since joining the Besut-Setiu agropolitan project, which began operations in April but was officially launched last month, the 100 hard-core poor participants, who rear Dorper sheep, have increased their average monthly income from RM350 to about RM1,000.

The ECER Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EEDP) has benefited 241 local entrepreneurs, who get financial aid and guidance in the development, branding and marketing of their products, Ahmad said, adding 21 Bumiputera firms have been identified through the teraju@ECER centre as recipients of the TERAS fund aimed at enhancing their national and regional competitiveness.

Ahmad also expressed gratitude to the Federal gocvernment for allocating RM10 million to ECERDC to improve basic infrastructure in Pulau Redang, Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Kapas under the 10^th Malaysia Plan.

ECERDC has also done a business study and implementation plan (BSIP) on the the sustanaible management of the Setiu Wetlands state park, and is collaborating with the state government in the development of the Kuala Terengganu City Centra (KTCC), he added. — Bernama