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Your State Government has worked hard for you since 2004, and Penang has the following results to show for it:

• RankedasoneoftheTop10MostLiveableCitiesinAsia;

• Honoured as the 1st state to ‘roll out’ aMSCCyberCity outside theMultimediaSuperCorridor;and

• Identified as the Hub for the Northern Corridor Economic Region(NCER).

Moreover, we are still known as the ‘Silicon Island of the East’ for high technology manufacturing; and we have been named the ‘Centre of Excellence for Microelectronics’ in the NCER master plan.

Today, the Penang Bridge is being widened. We have been given the ‘green light’ to further expand our airport and seaport. Construction of the Second Bridge is underway and is scheduled for completion in 2009.

Continue to work with us. Together, we will ‘bridge our way towards a brighter future’ for Penang; for you and the generations to come.

Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Penang Chief Minister,

February 2008

Good Results for the People

Launching of the Rapid Penang bus services

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1 0.4% infant mortality rate

2 76.3years average lifespan for women71.8years average lifespan for men

3 93.8% literacy rate

4 0.3%poverty rate - lowest in the country

5 97.9% employment rate - one of highest in the country

6 RM14,000 per capita GDP (14-fold increase since 1970)

7 >99% water and power supply coverage

8 81% households with fixed telephone lines

9 5.3% Broadband Internet penetration rate - second highest in the country

10 96% households with at least one vehicle

Quality of Life10 good indicators of our positive progress in the 1st decade of the 21st Century are:

A better quality of life for all in Penang

• 6.6%averagegrowth(2001-2005) Penang’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew steadily in spite of global

challenges. This resulted in increased income, better jobs and more business opportunities.

• RM16.76Bininvestments(2004-2007) In the period 2004-2007, MIDA approved RM16.76 billion in manufacturing

investments for Penang. Despite the emergence of China and India, we continued to ‘shine’ as a high-tech international manufacturing centre.

GDP growth 2001 - 2005 (SERI)

RM billions worth of manufacturing projects approved by MIDA, 2004 - 2007

Economy & Jobs

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• Only2.1%unemployment Penang’s unemployment rate is outstanding - 2.1%. Technically, this means that

jobs exist for almost every ‘employable’ person in Penang. In fact, people are coming here from outstation and overseas to seek jobs.

• 35.3%employedinthedynamicmanufacturingsector Approximately 200,000 people work in PDC industrial parks. Jobs in our

manufacturing sector are highly regarded due to good pay, good medical benefits, travelling opportunities, on-going training and options for sponsored further education programmes.

Penang: Employment by economic sectors 2006 (SERI)

Per capita GDP growth in RM, 1970 - 2005

• ‘14x’increaseinpercapitaincome(1970-2005)

The per capita GDP in Penang i nc reased f r om RM1 ,000 t o RM14,000 in 35 years. This proves that the Penang State Government’s economic policies and programmes have worked in favour of the people. More people are now enjoying better lifestyles and ownership of homes and cars.

Manufacturing•Morethan200multinationalcorporationsinPenang Penang is still ‘home’ to many famous multinational corporations (MNCs),

including: Agilent and Avago (formerly Hewlett-Packard), Altera, Ambu, ASE, BenQ, B. Braun, Clarion, Fairchild, IOI Oleochemical, Kobe, Mini Circuits, Motorola, Osram, Philips, Renesas (formerly Hitachi), Robert Bosch, Seagate, Sony and Toray.

•Making50%oftheworld’sAMDandIntelmicrochips Intel and AMD ship 50% of their global volume of microchips from here.

• Supplying95%ofDellnotebookcomputerstoNorthAmerica Almost all Dell notebook computers shipped to North America are made here,

together with PCs for the ASEAN, Australian and New Zealand markets.

•World’s6topEMScompaniesarehere Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies such as Benchmark

Electronics, Flextronics, Jabil, Plexus, Sanmina-SCI and Venture Corporation have also become corporate citizens here.

Bayan Lepas is still a world-class high-technology manufacturing centre

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• ‘Politicalstability’,‘governmentsupport’&‘capableworkforce’

These are the top 3 factors that have motivated eight pioneer MNCs to continue operating here for 36 years, according to their top executives.

• Earningmorebymovingupthevaluechain

Confident of Penang’s stability, government support and workforce capabilities, many MNCs have ventured into R&D, product design, supply chain management, marketing and e-commerce. These ‘up-market’ business activities have created more jobs, enhanced career prospects and ensured job security for thousands of employees in Penang.

•SMEs:World-classPenang-growncompanies Many of Penang’s so-called small-and medium enterprises (SMEs) have, in

fact, become multinational corporations and public-listed companies that do business on the international front. These SMEs also provide jobs for the people while contributing to economic growth and industrial development.

Advanced technologies Well-trained workforce

High-tech working environment

Semiconductor production Precision fabrication

Tourism

Passenger traffic2003 - 2007 (Penang Airport)

• 36%increaseinair passengertraffic The passenger traffic through

the Penang International Airport for 2007 was 3.168 million. This represents a 36% increase in just 4 years.

• 7airlineshaveintroducednewdirectflightssince2004

• Goinginternationalwithdragonboats,lanterns&music To attract even more visitors and tourism revenue, Penang will host five

international events in 2008 - the International Dragon Boat Federation’s Club Crew World Championships 2008, the Asia Dragon Boat Championship 2008, the ‘Garden of Lights’ (Penang International Lantern Festival), the Penang World Music Festival and the Penang Island Jazz Festival.

Subang

PekanBaru(Riau)

Medan

KualaTerengganuKotaBaru

Taipei

Japan

Seoul

Guangzhou,Xian

HongKong

LangkawiUnitedStates

Europe

BangkokKohSamui

Phuket

Kuantan

Singapore

KotaKinabalu

Kuching

KualaLumpur

Penang: hub for direct air travel

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• Soon:6newhotelsand5extensionprojects

As at 2007, Penang has 156 hotels offering a total of 12,879 rooms. The newest is the 304-room G Hotel at Gurney Drive that opened in 2007.

Penang will be able to offer some 3,000 new rooms in the next four years with the opening of 6 new hotels and the extension of 5 existing hotels.

Since 2005, the tourism branding has been:“Penang...has it all” - “rich legacy”, “back to nature”, “culinary adventure”, “meeting avenue” and “myriad celebrations.”

Penang National Park

World Music Festival

New Year’s Day 2008 countdown

International conference & expo

A warm and colourful welcome

New G Hotel

Services & Trading

With strong government support and promotion, the JuruAutocity area has become a popular centre for automotive retailing, commerce and food & beverage services in Seberang Perai.

• Supportinga5.4%averagegrowth in theservicessector (2001-2005) The services sector, which encompasses business & financial services, commerce, communications, food & beverage, health services, retailing and transportation is the main contributor to Penang’s GDP. In 2005, the value of its GDP contribution (53%) is estimated to be RM6.2 billion and the State Government is encouraging the sector to diversify dynamically to deliver more jobs and income every year.

• LaunchingQueensbay-thebiggestmalleverinPenang It was an ‘abandoned’ project that the state government and PDC ‘revived’ in great

style. The opening of the Queensbay Mall with 1 million sq ft of lettable area in December 2006 has created new job opportunities and lifestyle benefits in the Bayan Lepas / Bayan Baru area. Meanwhile, in George Town where retailing is still going strong, Gurney Plaza is building a RM83 million new wing to offer an additional 150,000 sq ft of lettable area by the end of 2008.

Juru Autocity

Queensbay Mall

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• Healthygrowthinmedicaltourism Competitively priced international-class

healthcare services provided at Penang’s 15 private hospitals, five heart centres and an internationally acclaimed cancer centre continue to attract thousands of foreign patients and millions in foreign exchange yearly.

• New frontiers ine-Commerce International corporations have set up e-Commerce operations related to business process out-sourcing (B.P.O.) in Penang since 2004. The ‘pioneers’ include Agilent (commercial services), Citibank (international trade bills processing), Dell (sales, I.T. and business services) and Intel (human resources, finance, shared services). The B.P.O. staff strength of these four companies alone total 4,400 personnel.

• Newhawkercentres ‘New World Park’, ‘Red Garden’

and ‘Medan Little Shanghai’ have been opened to offer local food in a clean and convenient environment.

New World Park

Red Garden Food Paradise

Healthcare

e-Services centre

Agriculture & Fisheries

• Padi:10metrictonnesperhectare With limited land, Penang has been

focusing on producing 10 metric tonnes per hectare by promoting effective irrigation, fertilisation and automation, as well as the planting of quality seeds and integrated pest control.

• Fruits&vegetables:fastharvests Key strategies include usage of the

latest technology to increase the quantity and quality of harvests, and the planting of ‘fast’ crops such as corn, papayas, watermelons, pineapples and bananas.

• Tunalandingandprocessing: 10,000metrictonnesayear The government-supported Malaysian

International Tuna Port (MITP) is reinstating Penang’s status as a key tuna landing and export hub in Asia. Located in Batu Maung, it has world-class storage and freezing facilities and is ideally near the airport.

• Livestock:benefitsfromthehigh-techapproach

N e w t e c h n o l o g y a n d professional management has transformed the livestock industry. Chickens, ducks, goats and cows are now bred in well-maintained indoor facilities to ensure healthy yield and minimal sewage discharge.

Planting cornHarvesting padi

Goat breeding

Malaysian International Tuna Port

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Moving People & Goods

• Expandingtheairportagain Besides higher air passenger traffic, the Penang International Airport also recorded

a 38.8% increase in air cargo handled in the period 2000-2006. Now, our airport will be expanded further as Penang gears up to serve as the logistics hub for the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER). Moreover, Air Asia has agreed to locate and operate its LCCTnorthernhub in Penang.

•Makingtheseaportbiggerandbetter At the Penang Port, container throughput was recorded at 847,721 TEUs, or

twenty-foot equivalent units, for the period January - November 2007 as compared to 688,171 TEUs in 2003. Accordingly, container facilities will be further expanded and enhanced, in line with the NCER master plan.

Handling air cargo

North Butterworth Container Terminal

• TanjungCityMarina-completed Completed in October 2005, this marina is part of a project to re-develop the

Weld Quay waterfront area into an international cruise and yachting destination. Nearby, the SwettenhamPier is also being re-developed into an internationalcruisecentre to cater for world-class luxury passenger ships of up to 70,000 tonnes.

• BORR-completed The 14 kilometre Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) has been open to traffic

since January 2007. It serves to ease traffic congestion at the metropolitan areas of Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam.

• JelutongExpressway-completed Phase 2 of the 4.8 kilometre Jelutong Expressway, linking Jalan Sungai Pinang

to Weld Quay, was completed as scheduled in 2006. Thousands of motorists use it daily to drive from Weld Quay to the bridge interchange in a few minutes.

• BayanBaruElevatedHighway-completed The Bayan Baru Elevated Highway was opened in July 2005. This 3.3 kilometre

elevated highway provides an alternative route that eases traffic flow to and from the airport and surrounding areas.

• RapidPenang-launched In July 2007, Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the

much awaited RapidPenang bus service. RapidPenang serves an estimated 60,000 commuters on Penang Island and Seberang Perai daily. Its fleet of 135 new and clean buses plies 33 routes on the island and mainland.

•Monorailsystem-inthepipeline As outlined in the NCER master plan, public transportation within Penang will

be further streamlined with the implementation of a proposed monorail system in the near future.

• SungaiNibongExpressBusTerminal-completed The Penang Island Express Bus Terminal was completed in April 2005. A one-

stop centre for bus commuters, it has also helped to ease traffic congestion in George Town by drawing express buses away from city streets.

Moving People & Goods

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BORR

Bayan Baru Elevated Highway

RapidPenang buses

Jelutong Expressway

Sungai Nibong Express Bus Terminal Proposed monorail system

•ReducingTrafficJams

Two Bridges

• PenangBridge:upgradedby2009 Work to widen the Penang Bridge is scheduled for completion by August 2009.

A third lane for cars is being added to both island-bound and mainland-bound carriageways. There will also be additional lanes for motorcycles on both carriageways.

• 2ndBridge:targetedcompletionby2011 Work to build the Second Bridge that will link Batu Maung on the island to

Batu Kawan on the mainland commenced in December 2006. The projected completion date is 2011.

Penang Bridge

Second Bridge (artist’s impression)

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• PCC1-launched Penang Cyber City 1 (PCC1) was launched

by Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in January 2005 (right). It is now driving wider and more rapid growth of information and communications technology (ICT) in industry to ensure Penang’s success as a ‘smart’ and connected‘i-Land’(intelligentisland).

PCC1 is the first cyber city outside the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) and it covers Bayan Lepas as well as the coastal zone south of the Penang Bridge, Bayan Baru and USM. PCC1 offers world-class physical and information infrastructure; an open door policy for knowledge workers; attractive investment incentives; no Internet censorship; and globally competitive telecommunications rates.

140MSCstatuscompanies are presently operating in Penang. Two more new cyber cities will be launched in Penang by 2010, at Bandar Cassia (Batu Kawan) and Bertam.

First Cyber City

PCC1 encompasses the Bayan Lepas Industrial Park and nearby areas

PCC1 launching

Living Environment• Floodmitigationprojects: S10andS18completed The S10 and S18 (left) flood mitigation

projects in the Macallum Street area were completed in 2006. Other major projects being implemented include the Sungai Muda project (20% complete), the Bertam (Kepala Batas) project (40% complete), the Sungai Perai project (80% complete) and the Sungai Junjung Phase 1 project (30% complete).

• JelutongSewageTreatmentPlant(JSTP)-treatingrawsewagetheenvironmental-friendlyway

Current ly undergoing f inal test ing and commissioning, the JSTP will ensure that raw sewage is no longer discharged directly into the sea.

When fully operational, it will serve the needs

of George Town and suburbs in the North-East district. With an 800,000 person equivalent (P.E.) capacity, the JSTP’s end-products are ‘Standard A’ treated water (discharged into a nearby river), dried sludge for landfill disposal and recycleable ‘bio-gas.’

•RelauMetropolitanPark(Phase1)-open Phase 1 of the park that is taking shape on 44.5

hectares of land between Jalan Paya Terubong and Jalan Tun Sardon has been completed. Phase 2 is now being developed.

•PenangNationalPark-launched Accessible via Teluk Bahang and Balik Pulau,

this 2,560-hectare sea-fronting park serves as a clean recreational area for the people and tourists, as well as a centre for research.

S18 flood mitigation project

Youth Park

Jelutong Sewage Treatment Plant

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•PenangHillcanopywalk-open Forest canopy walks at Penang Hill have

been ‘revived’ with the opening of a new eco-friendly walkway in July 2007. The Edgecliff bungalow has been converted into an art gallery and the 90-year-old furnicular railway will also be upgraded soon to avoid service disruptions.

• ‘Bigger’BotanicGardens The Penang Botanic Gardens will

be further expanded by another 8 hectares to house a bamboo garden, a new courtyard area and an eco-stream walk. Meanwhile, the new recreational park at Taman Kuari has been opened to the public since July 2007.

•More‘fun’atYouthPark Work has started in January 2008 to

add new features to the Municipal Youth Park. In the pipeline are an additional multi-purpose field, more recreational facilties, another children’s playground, camp sites and a new pool.

Penang Hill forest canopy walk

Penang Botanic Gardens

Youth Park

Water, Power & Broadband

•RM350milliontosustaingoodwatersupply Penang continues to enjoy good water supply and low water tariffs. Perbadanan

Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) invested RM350 million in the period 2004 - 2007 for service improvements and to sustain 99% supply coverage. Recognised as a model water supply company, PBAPP also received ISO14001:2004 certification for its environment-friendly operations at the Batu Ferringhi Treatment Plant and Teluk Bahang Dam in 2005.

•10newsub-stationsin2years In 2006 and 2007, Tenaga Nasional Berhad invested more than RM42 million to

build 10 new power sub-stations to ensure sufficient power supply.

• 2ndhighestBroadbandInternetpenetration

Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission data show that Penang’s Broadband Internet penetration rate of 5.3 per 100 inhabitants was the second highest in the country (Q4, 2006). Penang also has the third highest number of ‘wi-fi’hotspots(94). With more connectivity (left), more people are using ICT, in line with the State Government’s Penang ‘i-Land’ (intelligent island) concept.

Internet lifestyle

Teluk Bahang Dam

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• 1,712PPRunitscompletedandoccupied Since 2004, 1,712 units in 4 new PPR (“Program Perumahan Rakyat”) projects

have been rented out to people who cannot yet afford a low-cost home; squatters affected by projects; and those affected by abandoned projects. These projects are located at Ampang Jajar (Seberang Perai Tengah), Lorong Selamat / Jalan Zainal Abidin (George Town), Jalan Thamby Kechil (Butterworth) and Ampang Jajar (Seberang Perai Utara).

Housing for the people• 15,761affordablehomesbuiltsince2004 The Penang State Government’s people-friendly housing programme

has yielded 9,697 low-cost homes priced below RM42,000 and 6,064 low-medium-cost homes priced below RM80,000 that were built by the private sector and the government. Construction of 33,514 additional affordable homes (low- and low-medium-cost) have also been approved.

• Tsunamiaidhousing The government has also built

housing units for families that were affected by the tsunami disaster of 2004. Located near the new ‘Floating Mosque’ in Tanjung Bungah, this housing project has 100 units housing about 500 residents.

PPR key handing over ceremony Ampang Jajar (SPU) PPR project

Tsunami housing project

Public Safety & Security

• Electroniceyesfora‘SafeCity’ Working hand-in-hand with the police, the state government

(via the municipal council) has installed a state-of-the-art CCTV system to cover strategic areas in Air Itam, George Town, Sungai Nibong and Bukit Jambul. The focus of the ‘electronic eyes’ (left) are on crime- and accident-prone areas. This is the ‘Safe City’ programme wherein control rooms in Komtar (above) and the police headquarters monitor all developments for rapid response.

• New-3policestations,3firestations,4‘baywatchtowers’

New police stations are being built in Batu Ferringhi, Bayan Baru and Kuala Muda. New fire stations are taking shape at Bandar Baru Perda (Bukit Mertajam), Kuala Muda and Paya Terubong. ‘Baywatch towers’ have been set up to guard and provide early warnings at Batu Ferringhi (2), Balik Pulau and Miami Beach.

• VoluntaryPatrolScheme(SRS)tocombatcrime

To prevent and reduce crime, the state government has re-introduced the SRS in 98 Rukun Tetangga areas in all five districts on Penang Island and Seberang Perai. A total of 1,960 volunteers are patroling their streets regularly to:

- prevent and control crime; - enforce the law when asked to

by the authorities; and - protect lives and property.

CCTV control room

CCTV

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Healthcare• PenangHospital’snew‘daycarecentre’-open

The new RM55 million Ambulatory Care Centre (ACC) at the Penang Hospital was opened in November 2006. It serves as a modern ‘day care’ centre for patients who need not stay overnight for treatment.

To further improve public health services, the State Health Department proposes to build:

a Newwards,anew‘emergencycomplex’andamulti-storeycarparkatthePenangHospital

b AnewblocktohouseanACC,in-patientwardsandoperationroomsattheSeberangJayaHospital

c Psychiatryandin-patientfacilitiesattheBukitMertajamHospital

d 8newhealthclinicsthroughoutthestate.

• 1sttraditionalandcomplementarymedicine(T&CM)unitatKBHospital

The Kepala Batas Hospital opened the country’s first T&CM unit that offers acupuncture treatments, traditional massage (left) and herbal treatments in October 2007.

• USM’sAMDI-Penang’snewmedicalresearchandreferralcentre

With support from an international advisory panel, the USM Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (AMDI)in Kepala Batas is aiming to become a centre of excellence for clinical services, collaborative research in medicine, dentistry and clinical studies.

Penang Hospital

Acupuncture at Kepala Batas Hospital

Education & Training•Newinstitutionsofhigherlearning New institutions set up since 2004

include: Island College of Technology and Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA in Balik Pulau; and Institut Latihan Perindustrian Pulau Pinang and the Penang International Dental College in Kepala Batas.

•372schools According to 2007 data from the

Education Ministry, there are 372 government schools in Penang. We are the state with one of the highest ratio of schools per sq km (1 : 2.8 sq km) in Malaysia and one of the highest literacy rates in Asia -93.8%.

•WOU–world-classe-Learningforworkingadults

The Wawasan Open University (WOU), Penang’s first world-class ‘open university’, was launched by the Prime Minister in January 2008. ‘Flexible, affordable and accessible’, it is the first Malaysian university to specifically cater to working adults who want to pursue degrees without giving up their jobs.

•PSDC-45,000trainedintheperiod2004-2007 Besides training industrial employees, the Penang Skills Development

Centre (PSDC) is also actively preparing school-leavers for industrial jobs under fully government-sponsored programmes. In December 2007, PBAPP and PSDC jointly launched the Penang Water Services Academy (PWSA) - the 1st academy to focus on building talent for water supply industries in Malaysia.

Wawasan Open University

Penang Skills Development Centre Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA

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Culture & Harmony

The Penang State Government has always encouraged the people to live, work, prosper and celebrate together in the spirit of ‘muhibbah’ and ‘satu hati’.

Since the 1990s, the state leaders have worked with all communities to hold state-level celebrations such as ‘Pasar Ramadan’, ‘Konsert Aidil Fitri’, ‘Chinese New Year Open House’, ‘Hari Raya Open House’, ‘Chap Goh Meh’, ‘Deepavali’ Open House, ‘Christmas Open House’ and the ‘New Year Countdown’ every year.

These programmes are so successful that they have become colourful tourist events that are part of Penang’s annual festival calendar.

Most importantly, Penang’s annual festive celebrations have inspired the staging of national-level events that are now staged by various states in rotation. Penang hosted the national ‘Chinese New Year Open House’ in 2001 and the first national ‘Deepavali Open House’ in 2003.

Chinese New YearHari Raya Aidil Fitri Deepavali

‘Muhibbah’ and ‘Satu Hati’

Women, Youth & Sports

Rural Development

The Penang State Government continues to bring development to rural areas in all five districts within the state. The primary objective is to upgrade settlements to become growth-driven communities via the provision of affordable homes, facilities and utilities. In fact, a number of rural areas such as Balik Pulau, Batu Kawan and Bertam have since become high-growth areas in the 21st Century.

Lee Chong Wei

The Penang State Government’s main contribution in support of the ‘Women’s Agenda for Development’ is the continuing provision of various career opportunities for women in Penang’s manufacturing and services sectors.

Government-funded ‘Rumah Nur’ have also been set up in each of Penang’s five districts for women and family development programmes.

The State Government also maintained its strong support for youth and sports development to continue to produce world champions like Nicol David (squash) and Lee Chong Wei (badminton).

Supporting Nicol David and the next generation of Penang squash champions

Rural housing Modern livestock barn

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Caring Society

Consultative Governance

Initiatives implemented by the Penang State Government since 2000 include:

- www.penangcares.net, an e-portal that promotes support and involvement in key social causes and activities;

- Disabled-access facilities at key areas, as well as discounts and special seating for disabled persons using the RapidPenang bus service;

- Counselling and advisory programmes for troubled youths via District and Area Juvenile Welfare Committees; and

- Children’s Protection Teams in all five districts in the State.

Penang is the first state to implement a ‘Local Government Consultative Forum’ whereby NGOs and opinion leaders are invited to provide feedback on local government policies and programmes.

The government has also set up consultative committees on economic development, manufacturing, tourism, trade and education to encourage public participation, promote greater transparency and ensure efficient implementation of programmes and projects for the benefit of the people.

Penang State Executive Council (2004-2008)

Staying in touch with the disabled

New Industrial Strategies• EnsuringPenang’ssuccessinthe21stCentury The Penang State Government’s strategies to ensure Penang’s continuing

success in industry are to:

1. Build on information and communications technology (ICT) and related industries, move further up the value chain in ICT, and promote more research, development and design (RDD);

2. Develop MSC Cyber Cities in Penang;

3. Move into biotechnology, medical devices/instruments, contract manufacturing and contract research;

4. Develop research & development (R&D) into marine bio-technology and agro-based industries;

5. Promote e-Commerce and e-Logistics;

6. Strengthen other industries – fibre and garments, food & animal feed, iron & steel, wood-based products, etc;

7. Enhance human resource and skills development;

8. Promote universities and industry collaboration in R&D activities;

9. Build smart partnerships with companies in the USA, European Union, China, India and ASEAN; and

10. Strengthen government machinery for investment promotion.

Other industries such as iron & steel and fibre & garments will be strengthened

fibre & garmentiron & steel

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Using ICT, a Penang company has developed ‘Machine Vision’ technology that allows computers to ‘see.’

Penang will promote itself as a centre for e-Commerce.

Fields of specialisation that Penang is targeting include biotechnology,

advanced automation, agrotechnology and medical devices.

Agrotechnology

Advanced automation

Biotechnology

Medical devices - orthopaedics

Innovations in ICT

e-Commerce

NCER

Becomingaworld-classeconomicregionbyYear2025.

• Penang’skeyrolesasahubintheNCER:1 Logistics Primary centre for import-export and tourist arrivals

2 Manufacturing Centre of excellence for electrical & electronics industries, and promotion of industries related to multimedia and biotechnology, as well as aquatic, automotive and sustainable products

3 Agriculture Centre for collecting and processing farming produce, and collection / distribution of palm oil fruits

4 Tourism Luxury destination for spa tourism and long-stay programmes, centre for medical tourism and centre for exhibitions, conferences and entertainment.

• 3.23millionhectares,5.6millionpeople On 31 July 2007, Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched

the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) in Penang. Now, Penang is set to become the hub for logistics and progress in a northern corridor that spans 21 districts in 4 states - Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Northern Perak.

The NCER encompasses a total area of 3.23 million hectares with a population of 5.6 million people - representing a bigger market and more resources.

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Key NCER Infrastructure