State aims to be gateway for business
08 Jun 2022
Johor government will continue to reduce red tape and improve inter-agency cooperation to attract investors and turn the state into a world-class investment destination.
Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the state aimed to be the gateway for businesses and attract quality investments based on advanced technology and innovation.
He said that despite the challenges in attracting investments due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Johor viewed the situation positively as Malaysia was now transitioning to the endemic phase.
“More investors are looking to invest in Johor as we have the right ecosystem to attract them,” he said after a ground-breaking ceremony at the Insulet Corporation plant in Senai Airport City Industrial Park, Johor Baru.
Also present were Kulai district officer Zainor Adani and Johor trade investment and consumer affairs committee chairman Lee Ting Han.
Onn Hafiz said the state government would work closely with Federal and state agencies in facilitating and promoting investment in Johor.
He said these included the state economic planning division, Invest Johor, Malaysian Investment Development Authority and Iskandar Regional Development Authority.
He added that the Johor Investment Committee (JIC) would act as a platform for state agencies to reduce red tape in facilitating investments in the state, especially with regard to issues and challenges faced by investors.
Onn Hafiz described Insulet’s US$200mil to US$250mil (RM878mil to RM1.09bil) investment in Johor as a milestone, saying that more investments would be making their way to Johor in the near future.
“We are poised to become an important regional medical device manufacturing hub with well-developed industrial parks and world-class suppliers capable of delivering high value-added precision parts at competitive pricing,” he added.
Insulet executive vice-president and chief operating officer Charles Alpuche said the Johor plant was the company’s third manufacturing facility.
He said the 400,000sq ft Johor plant with 500 workers would produce the company’s Omnipod tubeless insulin pump.
“We will start with two production lines and increase to five lines.
“We plan to employ some 2,000 workers in five years,” he added.
Insulet’s other manufacturing facilities are in Acton, Massachusetts in USA and Kunshan, China with 430 and 2,200 workers respectively.
Source: The Star
