Five MNCs in negotiations to invest in Kulim Hi-Tech Park

KULIM: Kulim Hi-Tech Park is negotiating with five multinational corporations to bring in over RM3bil in investments in the next six months. Kulim Technology Park Corp (KTPC) president Muhamad Sobri Osman told StarBizWeek that the five companies were from Europe, the United States and Japan and were involved in solar-related and electronics industries. “We are in preliminary and advanced stages of negotiations with the five companies,” he said. “Their investments should create some 5,000 job opportunities.” For 2011, KTPC has drawn about RM6bil for Kulim Hi-Tech Park. “These include new investments from Saint-Gobain Solar of France, Fuji Logistics of Japan, QT Technology of Singapore and Whizz Systems of the United States. “Then there are also additional investments from existing MNCs such Infineon for its second phase. “These investments should generate some 4,000 jobs,” Sobri said. Saint-Gobain Solar manufactures glass for the solar panel industry, Fuji Logistics is a logistics solutions provider, QT Technology provides wafer fabrication training and Whizz assembles printed circuit board products. On another note, Sobri said: “We will start the infrastructure development for the phase four, which is about 400 acres, in the first quarter of 2012. Works should be completed in seven to eight months. “We are investing about RM220mil for phase four, of which RM120mil is for land acquisition.” He said since 1995, KTPC had spent more than RM500mil to develop the first three phases of Kulim Hi-Tech Park, spanning 1,432 acres. Sobri said KTPC was exploring opportunities to bring in more investments from Japan and Thailand, in view of the natural disasters that had damaged their manufacturing industries. “The rental to lease the land in KHTP is very competitive, currently being priced at about RM23 per sq ft, compared with RM18 a year ago,” he said. On the recent RM1.85bil investment by Panasonic in KHTP, Sobri said the solar manufacturing facility would employ some 1,500 workers. The Kulim Hi-Tech Park currently had 24 MNCs and 37 small and medium-scale enterprises, employing some 26,700 workers. - The Star