Posted on July 4, 2012, Wednesday
KUCHING: Tanjung Manis Halal Hub (TMHH) in Sarawak, the country’s biggest halal hub, has received committed investments from two companies – Sea Party Technology Co Ltd amounting to RM2 billion and Pertanza Sdn Bhd totalling RM2.5 million, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said yesterday.
Taib, who is also Resource Planning and Environment Minister, said Sea Party, a Taiwanese company, was focusing on aquaculture industry, such as farming of tilapia fish and prawn, chlorella cultivation as well as aquaculture research and development.
“Pertanza is a local company specialising in catfish farming in canvas, production of catfish-based food products and supply of frozen catfish,” he said in his keynote address cum launching of the 2012 Investment and Business Opportunities in TMHH Sarawak Seminar held at Mitsubishi Corporation in Tokyo, Japan.
The state government has designated a gross area of 77,000 hectares to the place where halal industry and halal production can thrive.
In his text of speech released here, Taib said the global market value for halal foods was estimated at US$547 billion a year while trade in halal food and non-food products was worth US$2.1 trillion annually.
“I believe Japanese companies have become increasingly aware of this and are willing to invest in halal production to take advantage of this huge market,” he told the 150 participants, Japanese investors and business community at the seminar.
The seminar was primarily aimed at introducing Sarawak to Japanese companies and highlighted the investment opportunities available, especially under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) and in particular in TMHH.
In assuring Japanese investors, he welcomed the entry of companies dealing with food production, pharmaceuticals, living essentials, life-sciences and biotechnology into Tanjung Manis.
Similarly, Taib said Tanjung Manis provided a lot of potential for investment and business opportunities in plantation, aquaculture, poultry and livestock, food processing, logistics and shipping services, cosmetic and healthcare products and palm oil related products.
On infrastructure, he assured the investors that the state had embarked upon the process of developing key infrastructures crucial for the development of halal industries in both upstream and downstream activities, adding that he also welcomed the participation of Japanese companies in the development of these infrastructures.
Malaysia had clearly developed itself as a leader in Islamic finance and halal products with the federal government having empowered the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) to be the only national body to manage halal certification in the country.
Present at the seminar were chairman of Jameca and senior advisor to the Board of Mitsubishi Corporation Mikio Sasaki, chief director of Japan-Malaysia Association Takakazu Ogawa, Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, State Secretary Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani and Malaysian Ambassador Datuk Shaharuddin Md Som.
Also present were advisor in the Chief Minister’s Department Tan Sri Rastam Mohd Isa, advisor of Sarawak Workforce Development Unit Tan Sri Hassan Marican, assistant ministers Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, Datu Len Talif Salleh and Julaihi Narawi and permanent secretary to the Ministry of Resource Planning and Environment Datu Sudarsono Osman. — Bernama
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