Iskandar focusing on developing high skills

09 August 2010 , By Business Times

ISKANDAR Malaysia is focusing on attracting manufacturing industry players who can help develop local talent with high-skill sets, and not those who heavily rely on labour-intensive manpower.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said having a proper skilled manpower is better for the corridor and Malaysia in the long term as this will transform its manufacturing and service industries into being capital-intensive.

"This is also in line with our efforts to move towards a high-income economy, concentrating on high value-added, technology-intensive and knowledge-based economic activities."

Ghani was speaking to reporters after opening Welding Alloys (Far East) Sdn Bhd's new premises at Taman Perindustrian Taman Gembira in Johor Baru yesterday.

Present at the event was Welding Alloys director and general manager Dominic Charles Stekly.

Ghani said Welding Alloys, which has been based in Tampoi, Johor Baru, for the past 30 years, is a good example of a foreign-based manufacturing company that was keen to grow and, at the same time, develop local talent.

He expressed confidence that Iskandar Malaysia and Johor as a whole will see new such investments as well as the expansion of existing ones.

Meanwhile, Stekly said Welding Alloys' manufacturing base in Iskandar Malaysia has been ideal for the company as it offers a strategic location.

"The area offers easy and direct accessibility to the ports and this has been an advantage for us as most of our products cannot be air- flown due to their large size," he said.

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