9/7/2012 — New Straits Times
KUALA LUMPUR: The East Coast Economic Region (ECER), which encompasses Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and the district of Mersing in Johor, continues to attract foreign investors, with the latest interest being shown by a group of Japanese entrepreneurs who visited several key projects there recently.
ECER development Council (ECERDC) chief executive officer Datuk Jebasingam Issace John said Malaysia has always been one of the top investment destinations for Japanese companies and the recent visit reflected Japanese confidence in the region.
Last Tuesday, ECERDC hosted a delegation of 22 businessmen from Japanese Chamber of Trade and Industry Malaysia (JACTIM), headed by its chairman for reseach, Joji Ikeshita.
They visited various ECER industrial parks in Pahang and Terengganu, including Gebeng Industrial Park, Palm Oil Industrial Cluster, Kuantan Port, Gambang Halal Park, Pekan Automotive Park (PAP), Kemaman Heavy Industrial Park and Kertih Biopolymer Park.
Among those in the delegation were top officials from Kaneka (M) Sdn Bhd, Tokyo Gas Co Ltd, Chudenko (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Organo (Asia) Sdn Bhd, Marubeni Corp, Mitsubishi Corp, Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co Ltd, NHK Manufacturing (M) Sdn Bhd, JICA Malaysia and Fuji Xerox.
Ikeshita said Kaneka’s success in Gebeng Industrial Park had prompted the visit by Jactim to ECER.
“Kuantan Port is also a big attraction to Japanese investors,” he said in a statement issued by ECERDC.
Kaneka Malaysia, which is a subsidiary of Kaneka Corp of Japan, is investing nearly RM1 billion in the Gebeng Industrial Park, a chemical and petrochemical hub.
