1 Launching of the Rapid bus services

Good Results for the People Your State Government has worked hard for you since 2004, and Penang has the following results to show for it:

• Ranked as one of the Top 10 Most Liveable Cities in Asia;

• Honoured as the 1st state to ‘roll out’ a MSC Cyber City outside the Multimedia Super Corridor; and

• Identified as the Hub for the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER).

Moreover, we are still known as the ‘Silicon Island of the East’ for high technology manufacturing; and we have been named the ‘Centre of Excellence for Microelectronics’ in the NCER master plan.

Today, the is being widened. We have been given the ‘green light’ to further expand our airport and seaport. Construction of the Second Bridge is underway and is scheduled for completion in 2009.

Continue to work with us. Together, we will ‘bridge our way towards a brighter future’ for Penang; for you and the generations to come.

Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Penang Chief Minister, February 2008 Quality of Life 10 good indicators of our positive progress in the 1st decade of the 21st Century are:

1 0.4% infant mortality rate 2 76.3 years average lifespan for women 71.8 years average lifespan for men 3 93.8% literacy rate 4 0.3% poverty rate - lowest in the country 5 97.9% employment rate - one of highest in the country 6 RM14,000 per capita GDP (14-fold increase since 1970) 7 > 99% water and power supply coverage 8 81% households with fixed telephone lines 9 5.3% Broadband Internet penetration rate - second highest in the country

10 96% households with at least one vehicle

A better quality of life for all in Penang

3 Economy & Jobs

GDP growth 2001 - 2005 (SERI)

• 6.6% average growth (2001-2005) Penang’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew steadily in spite of global challenges. This resulted in increased income, better jobs and more business opportunities.

• RM16.76B in investments (2004-2007) In the period 2004-2007, MIDA approved RM16.76 billion in manufacturing investments for Penang. Despite the emergence of China and India, we continued to ‘shine’ as a high-tech international manufacturing centre.

RM billions worth of manufacturing projects approved by MIDA, 2004 - 2007 Per capita GDP growth in RM, 1970 - 2005 • ‘14x’ increase in per capita income (1970-2005) The per capita GDP in Penang increased from RM1,000 to RM14,000 in 35 years. This proves that the Penang State Government’s economic policies and programmes have worked in favour of the people. More people are now enjoying better lifestyles and ownership of homes and cars. • Only 2.1% unemployment Penang’s unemployment rate is outstanding - 2.1%. Technically, this means that jobs exist for almost every ‘employable’ person in Penang. In fact, people are coming here from outstation and overseas to seek jobs.

• 35.3% employed in the dynamic manufacturing sector Approximately 200,000 people work in PDC industrial parks. Jobs in our manufacturing sector are highly regarded due to good pay, good medical benefits, travelling opportunities, on-going training and options for sponsored further education programmes.

Penang: Employment by economic sectors 2006 (SERI)

5 Manufacturing • More than 200 multinational corporations in Penang Penang is still ‘home’ to many famous multinational corporations (MNCs), including: Agilent and Avago (formerly Hewlett-Packard), Altera, Ambu, ASE, BenQ, B. Braun, Clarion, Fairchild, IOI Oleochemical, Kobe, Mini Circuits, Motorola, Osram, Philips, Renesas (formerly Hitachi), Robert Bosch, Seagate, Sony and Toray.

• Making 50% of the world’s AMD and Intel microchips Intel and AMD ship 50% of their global volume of microchips from here.

• Supplying 95% of Dell notebook computers to North America Almost all Dell notebook computers shipped to North America are made here, together with PCs for the ASEAN, Australian and New Zealand markets.

• World’s 6 top EMS companies are here Electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies such as Benchmark Electronics, Flextronics, Jabil, Plexus, Sanmina-SCI and Venture Corporation have also become corporate citizens here.

Bayan Lepas is still a world-class high-technology manufacturing centre Advanced technologies Well-trained workforce

• ‘Political stability’, ‘government support’ & ‘capable workforce’ These are the top 3 factors that have motivated eight pioneer MNCs to continue operating here for 36 years, according to their top executives.

• Earning more by moving up the value chain Confident of Penang’s stability, government High-tech working environment support and workforce capabilities, many MNCs have ventured into R&D, product design, supply chain management, marketing and e-commerce. These ‘up-market’ business activities have created more jobs, enhanced career prospects and ensured job security for thousands of employees in Penang.

• SMEs: World-class Penang-grown companies Many of Penang’s so-called small-and medium enterprises (SMEs) have, in fact, become multinational corporations and public-listed companies that do business on the international front. These SMEs also provide jobs for the people while contributing to economic growth and industrial development. Semiconductor production Precision fabrication

7 Tourism

• 36% increase in air passenger traffic The passenger traffic through the Penang International Airport for 2007 was 3.168 million. This represents a 36% increase in just 4 years. Passenger traffic

2003 - 2007 • 7 airlines have introduced (Penang Airport) new direct flights since 2004

Guangzhou, Xian

Hong Kong Taipei Seoul

Bangkok Japan Phuket Koh Samui Europe United Kota Baru Kota Kinabalu States Kuala Terengganu

Medan Kuala Kuantan Lumpur Subang Kuching Singapore Pekan Baru (Riau) Penang: hub for direct air travel

• Going international with dragon boats, lanterns & music To attract even more visitors and tourism revenue, Penang will host five international events in 2008 - the International Dragon Boat Federation’s Club Crew World Championships 2008, the Asia Dragon Boat Championship 2008, the ‘Garden of Lights’ (Penang International Lantern Festival), the Penang World Music Festival and the Jazz Festival. • Soon: 6 new hotels and 5 extension projects As at 2007, Penang has 156 hotels offering a total of New G Hotel 12,879 rooms. The newest is the 304-room G Hotel at Gurney Drive that opened in 2007.

Penang will be able to offer some 3,000 new rooms in the next four years with the opening of 6 new hotels and the extension of 5 existing hotels.

Penang National Park

International conference & expo Since 2005, the tourism branding has been: “Penang...has it all” - “rich legacy”, “back to New Year’s Day 2008 countdown nature”, “culinary adventure”, “meeting avenue” and “myriad celebrations.”

World Music Festival

A warm and colourful welcome 9 Services & Trading

• Supporting a 5.4% average growth in the services sector (2001-2005) The services sector, which encompasses business & financial services, commerce, communications, food & beverage, health services, retailing and transportation is the main contributor to Penang’s GDP. In 2005, the value of its GDP contribution (53%) is estimated to be RM6.2 billion and the State Government is encouraging the sector to diversify dynamically to deliver more jobs and income every year.

Juru Autocity

With strong government support and promotion, the Juru Autocity area has become a popular centre for automotive retailing, commerce and food & beverage services in Seberang .

Queensbay Mall

• Launching Queensbay - the biggest mall ever in Penang It was an ‘abandoned’ project that the state government and PDC ‘revived’ in great style. The opening of the Queensbay Mall with 1 million sq ft of lettable area in December 2006 has created new job opportunities and lifestyle benefits in the / area. Meanwhile, in George Town where retailing is still going strong, Gurney Plaza is building a RM83 million new wing to offer an additional 150,000 sq ft of lettable area by the end of 2008. • Healthy growth in medical tourism Competitively priced international-class healthcare services provided at Penang’s 15 private hospitals, five heart centres and an internationally acclaimed cancer centre continue to attract thousands of foreign patients and Healthcare millions in foreign exchange yearly.

• New frontiers in e-Commerce International corporations have set up e-Commerce operations related to business process out-sourcing (B.P.O.) in Penang since 2004. The ‘pioneers’ include Agilent (commercial services), Citibank (international trade bills processing), Dell (sales, I.T. and business services) and Intel (human resources, finance, shared services). The B.P.O. staff strength of these four companies alone total 4,400 personnel. e-Services centre • New hawker centres ‘New World Park’, ‘Red Garden’ and ‘Medan Little Shanghai’ have been opened to offer local food in a clean and convenient environment.

Red Garden Food Paradise

New World Park

11 Agriculture & Fisheries

Harvesting padi Planting corn

• Padi: 10 metric tonnes per hectare • Fruits & vegetables: fast harvests With limited land, Penang has been Key strategies include usage of the focusing on producing 10 metric tonnes latest technology to increase the per hectare by promoting effective quantity and quality of harvests, and irrigation, fertilisation and automation, the planting of ‘fast’ crops such as corn, as well as the planting of quality seeds papayas, watermelons, pineapples and and integrated pest control. bananas.

• Livestock: benefits from Goat breeding the high-tech approach New technology and professional management has transformed the livestock industry. Chickens, ducks, goats and cows are now bred in well-maintained indoor facilities to ensure healthy yield and minimal sewage discharge.

Malaysian International Tuna Port • Tuna landing and processing: 10,000 metric tonnes a year The government-supported Malaysian International Tuna Port (MITP) is reinstating Penang’s status as a key tuna landing and export hub in Asia. Located in , it has world- class storage and freezing facilities and is ideally near the airport. Moving People & Goods

Handling air cargo

• Expanding the airport again Besides higher air passenger traffic, the Penang International Airport also recorded a 38.8% increase in air cargo handled in the period 2000-2006. Now, our airport will be expanded further as Penang gears up to serve as the logistics hub for the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER). Moreover, Air Asia has agreed to locate and operate its LCCT northern hub in Penang.

North Butterworth Container Terminal

• Making the seaport bigger and better At the Penang Port, container throughput was recorded at 847,721 TEUs, or twenty-foot equivalent units, for the period January - November 2007 as compared to 688,171 TEUs in 2003. Accordingly, container facilities will be further expanded and enhanced, in line with the NCER master plan. 13 Moving People & Goods • Tanjung City Marina - completed Completed in October 2005, this marina is part of a project to re-develop the Weld Quay waterfront area into an international cruise and yachting destination. Nearby, the Swettenham Pier is also being re-developed into an international cruise centre to cater for world-class luxury passenger ships of up to 70,000 tonnes.

• BORR - completed The 14 kilometre Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) has been open to traffic since January 2007. It serves to ease traffic congestion at the metropolitan areas of Butterworth and .

• Jelutong Expressway - completed Phase 2 of the 4.8 kilometre Jelutong Expressway, linking Jalan to Weld Quay, was completed as scheduled in 2006. Thousands of motorists use it daily to drive from Weld Quay to the bridge interchange in a few minutes.

• Bayan Baru Elevated Highway - completed The Bayan Baru Elevated Highway was opened in July 2005. This 3.3 kilometre elevated highway provides an alternative route that eases traffic flow to and from the airport and surrounding areas.

• RapidPenang - launched In July 2007, Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the much awaited RapidPenang bus service. RapidPenang serves an estimated 60,000 commuters on Penang Island and daily. Its fleet of 135 new and clean buses plies 33 routes on the island and mainland.

• system - in the pipeline As outlined in the NCER master plan, public transportation within Penang will be further streamlined with the implementation of a proposed monorail system in the near future.

• Express Bus Terminal - completed The Penang Island Express Bus Terminal was completed in April 2005. A one- stop centre for bus commuters, it has also helped to ease traffic congestion in George Town by drawing express buses away from city streets. • Reducing Traffic Jams

BORR

RapidPenang buses

Jelutong Expressway Bayan Baru Elevated Highway

Sungai Nibong Express Bus Terminal Proposed monorail system

15 Two Bridges

Penang Bridge

• Penang Bridge: upgraded by 2009 Work to widen the Penang Bridge is scheduled for completion by August 2009. A third lane for cars is being added to both island-bound and mainland-bound carriageways. There will also be additional lanes for motorcycles on both carriageways.

• 2nd Bridge: targeted completion by 2011 Work to build the Second Bridge that will link Batu Maung on the island to on the mainland commenced in December 2006. The projected completion date is 2011.

Second Bridge (artist’s impression) First Cyber City • PCC1 - launched PCC1 launching Penang Cyber City 1 (PCC1) was launched by Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in January 2005 (right). It is now driving wider and more rapid growth of information and communications technology (ICT) in industry to ensure Penang’s success as a ‘smart’ and connected ‘i-Land’ (intelligent island).

PCC1 is the first cyber city outside the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) and it covers Bayan Lepas as well as the coastal zone south of the Penang Bridge, Bayan Baru and USM. PCC1 offers world-class physical and information infrastructure; an open door policy for knowledge workers; attractive investment incentives; no Internet censorship; and globally competitive telecommunications rates.

140 MSC status companies are presently operating in Penang. Two more new cyber cities will be launched in Penang by 2010, at Bandar Cassia (Batu Kawan) and Bertam.

PCC1 encompasses the Bayan Lepas Industrial Park and nearby areas

17 Living Environment

S18 flood mitigation project • Flood mitigation projects: S10 and S18 completed The S10 and S18 (left) flood mitigation projects in the Macallum Street area were completed in 2006. Other major projects being implemented include the Sungai Muda project (20% complete), the Bertam (Kepala Batas) project (40% complete), the Sungai Perai project (80% complete) and the Sungai Junjung Phase 1 project (30% complete).

• Jelutong Sewage Treatment Plant (JSTP) Jelutong Sewage Treatment Plant - treating raw sewage the environmental- friendly way Currently undergoing final testing and commissioning, the JSTP will ensure that raw sewage is no longer discharged directly into the sea.

When fully operational, it will serve the needs of George Town and suburbs in the North-East district. With an 800,000 person equivalent (P.E.) capacity, the JSTP’s end-products are ‘Standard A’ treated water (discharged into a nearby river), dried sludge for landfill disposal and recycleable ‘bio-gas.’ Youth Park • Metropolitan Park (Phase 1) - open Phase 1 of the park that is taking shape on 44.5 hectares of land between Jalan and Jalan Tun Sardon has been completed. Phase 2 is now being developed.

• Penang National Park - launched Accessible via and , this 2,560-hectare sea-fronting park serves as a clean recreational area for the people and tourists, as well as a centre for research. • Penang Hill canopy walk - open Forest canopy walks at Penang Hill have been ‘revived’ with the opening of a new eco-friendly walkway in July 2007. The Edgecliff bungalow has been converted into an art gallery and the 90-year-old furnicular railway will also be upgraded soon to avoid service disruptions.

Penang Hill forest canopy walk

• ‘Bigger’ Botanic Gardens The Penang Botanic Gardens will be further expanded by another 8 hectares to house a bamboo garden, a new courtyard area and an eco-stream walk. Meanwhile, the new recreational park at Taman Kuari has been opened to the public since July 2007.

Penang Botanic Gardens

Youth Park • More ‘fun’ at Youth Park Work has started in January 2008 to add new features to the Municipal Youth Park. In the pipeline are an additional multi-purpose field, more recreational facilties, another children’s playground, camp sites and a new pool. 19 Water, Power & Broadband

Teluk Bahang Dam

• RM350 million to sustain good water supply Penang continues to enjoy good water supply and low water tariffs. Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) invested RM350 million in the period 2004 - 2007 for service improvements and to sustain 99% supply coverage. Recognised as a model water supply company, PBAPP also received ISO14001:2004 certification for its environment-friendly operations at the Treatment Plant and Teluk Bahang Dam in 2005.

• 10 new sub-stations in 2 years In 2006 and 2007, Tenaga Nasional Berhad invested more than RM42 million to build 10 new power sub-stations to ensure sufficient power supply.

Internet lifestyle • 2nd highest Broadband Internet penetration Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission data show that Penang’s Broadband Internet penetration rate of 5.3 per 100 inhabitants was the second highest in the country (Q4, 2006). Penang also has the third highest number of ‘wi-fi’ hotspots (94). With more connectivity (left), more people are using ICT, in line with the State Government’s Penang ‘i-Land’ (intelligent island) concept. Housing for the people

• 15,761 affordable homes built since 2004 The Penang State Government’s people-friendly housing programme has yielded 9,697 low-cost homes priced below RM42,000 and 6,064 low-medium-cost homes priced below RM80,000 that were built by the private sector and the government. Construction of 33,514 additional affordable homes (low- and low-medium-cost) have also been approved.

PPR key handing over ceremony Ampang Jajar (SPU) PPR project

• 1,712 PPR units completed and occupied Since 2004, 1,712 units in 4 new PPR (“Program Perumahan Rakyat”) projects have been rented out to people who cannot yet afford a low-cost home; squatters affected by projects; and those affected by abandoned projects. These projects are located at Ampang Jajar (Seberang Perai Tengah), Lorong Selamat / Jalan Zainal Abidin (George Town), Jalan Thamby Kechil (Butterworth) and Ampang Jajar (Seberang Perai Utara).

Tsunami housing project • Tsunami aid housing The government has also built housing units for families that were affected by the tsunami disaster of 2004. Located near the new ‘Floating Mosque’ in , this housing project has 100 units housing about 500 residents.

21 Public Safety & Security

CCTV control room

• Electronic eyes for a ‘Safe City’ CCTV Working hand-in-hand with the police, the state government (via the municipal council) has installed a state-of-the-art CCTV system to cover strategic areas in , George Town, Sungai Nibong and . The focus of the ‘electronic eyes’ (left) are on crime- and accident-prone areas. This is the ‘Safe City’ programme wherein control rooms in Komtar (above) and the police headquarters monitor all developments for rapid response.

• New - 3 police stations, 3 fire • Voluntary Patrol Scheme (SRS) to stations, 4 ‘baywatch towers’ combat crime New police stations are being built To prevent and reduce crime, the in Batu Ferringhi, Bayan Baru and state government has re-introduced Kuala Muda. New fire stations are the SRS in 98 Rukun Tetangga areas taking shape at Bandar Baru Perda in all five districts on Penang Island (Bukit Mertajam), Kuala Muda and and Seberang Perai. A total of 1,960 Paya Terubong. ‘Baywatch towers’ volunteers are patroling their streets have been set up to guard and provide regularly to: early warnings at Batu Ferringhi (2), - prevent and control crime; Balik Pulau and Miami Beach. - enforce the law when asked to by the authorities; and - protect lives and property. Healthcare Penang Hospital

• Penang Hospital’s new ‘day care centre’ - open The new RM55 million Ambulatory Care Centre (ACC) at the Penang Hospital was opened in November 2006. It serves as a modern ‘day care’ centre for patients who need not stay overnight for treatment.

To further improve public health services, the State Health Department proposes to build:

a New wards, a new ‘emergency complex’ and a multi-storey carpark at the Penang Hospital b A new block to house an ACC, in-patient wards and operation rooms at the Hospital c Psychiatry and in-patient facilities at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital

d 8 new health clinics throughout the state.

• 1st traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) unit at KB Hospital The Kepala Batas Hospital opened the country’s first T&CM unit that offers acupuncture treatments, traditional massage (left) and herbal treatments in October 2007.

• USM’s AMDI - Penang’s new medical research and referral centre With support from an international advisory panel, the USM Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (AMDI) in Kepala Batas is aiming to become a centre of excellence for clinical services, collaborative research in medicine, Acupuncture at dentistry and clinical studies. Kepala Batas Hospital

23 Education & Training

• 372 schools • New institutions of higher learning According to 2007 data from the New institutions set up since 2004 Education Ministry, there are 372 include: Island College of Technology government schools in Penang. We and Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA are the state with one of the highest in Balik Pulau; and Institut Latihan ratio of schools per sq km (1 : 2.8 sq Perindustrian Pulau Pinang and the km) in and one of the highest Penang International Dental College literacy rates in Asia -93.8%. in Kepala Batas.

• WOU – world-class e-Learning for Wawasan working adults Open University The Wawasan Open University (WOU), Penang’s first world-class ‘open university’, was launched by the Prime Minister in January 2008. ‘Flexible, affordable and accessible’, it is the first Malaysian university to specifically cater to working adults who want to pursue degrees without giving up their jobs.

Penang Skills Development Centre Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi MARA

• PSDC - 45,000 trained in the period 2004-2007 Besides training industrial employees, the Penang Skills Development Centre (PSDC) is also actively preparing school-leavers for industrial jobs under fully government-sponsored programmes. In December 2007, PBAPP and PSDC jointly launched the Penang Water Services Academy (PWSA) - the 1st academy to focus on building talent for water supply industries in Malaysia. Culture & Harmony

Hari Raya Aidil Fitri Chinese New Year Deepavali The Penang State Government has These programmes are so successful always encouraged the people to live, that they have become colourful tourist work, prosper and celebrate together in events that are part of Penang’s annual the spirit of ‘muhibbah’ and ‘satu hati’. festival calendar.

Since the 1990s, the state leaders Most importantly, Penang’s annual have worked with all communities to festive celebrations have inspired the hold state-level celebrations such as staging of national-level events that ‘Pasar Ramadan’, ‘Konsert Aidil Fitri’, are now staged by various states in ‘Chinese New Year Open House’, rotation. Penang hosted the national ‘Hari Raya Open House’, ‘Chap ‘Chinese New Year Open House’ in Goh Meh’, ‘Deepavali’ Open House, 2001 and the first national ‘Deepavali ‘Christmas Open House’ and the ‘New Open House’ in 2003. Year Countdown’ every year.

‘Muhibbah’ and ‘Satu Hati’

25 Rural Development

Rural housing Modern livestock barn The Penang State Government continues to bring development to rural areas in all five districts within the state. The primary objective is to upgrade settlements to become growth-driven communities via the provision of affordable homes, facilities and utilities. In fact, a number of rural areas such as Balik Pulau, Batu Kawan and Bertam have since become high-growth areas in the 21st Century. Women, Youth & Sports The Penang State Government’s main contribution in support of the ‘Women’s Agenda for Development’ is the continuing provision of various career opportunities for women in Penang’s manufacturing and services sectors.

Government-funded ‘Rumah Nur’ have also been set up in each of Penang’s five districts for women and Supporting Nicol David and the next generation family development programmes. of Penang squash champions

The State Government also maintained its strong support for youth and sports development to continue to produce world champions like Nicol David (squash) and Lee Chong Wei (badminton).

Lee Chong Wei Caring Society Initiatives implemented by the Penang State Government since 2000 include:

- www.penangcares.net, an e-portal that promotes support and involvement in key social causes and activities;

- Disabled-access facilities at key areas, as well as discounts and special seating for disabled persons using the RapidPenang bus service; Staying in touch with the disabled - Counselling and advisory programmes for troubled youths via District and Area Juvenile Welfare Committees; and

- Children’s Protection Teams in all five districts in the State. Consultative Governance Penang is the first state to implement a ‘Local Government Consultative Forum’ whereby NGOs and opinion leaders are invited to provide feedback on local government policies and programmes.

The government has also set up consultative committees on economic development, manufacturing, tourism, trade and education to encourage public participation, promote greater transparency and ensure efficient implementation of programmes and projects for the benefit of the people.

Penang State Executive Council (2004-2008)

27 New Industrial Strategies • Ensuring Penang’s success in the 21st Century The Penang State Government’s strategies to ensure Penang’s continuing success in industry are to:

1. Build on information and communications technology (ICT) and related industries, move further up the value chain in ICT, and promote more research, development and design (RDD);

2. Develop MSC Cyber Cities in Penang;

3. Move into biotechnology, medical devices/instruments, contract manufacturing and contract research;

4. Develop research & development (R&D) into marine bio-technology and agro-based industries;

5. Promote e-Commerce and e-Logistics;

6. Strengthen other industries – fibre and garments, food & animal feed, iron & steel, wood-based products, etc;

7. Enhance human resource and skills development;

8. Promote universities and industry collaboration in R&D activities;

9. Build smart partnerships with companies in the USA, European Union, China, India and ASEAN; and

10. Strengthen government machinery for investment promotion.

iron & steel fibre & garment

Other industries such as iron & steel and fibre & garments will be strengthened Using ICT, a Penang company has developed ‘Machine Vision’ technology that allows computers to ‘see.’

Penang will promote itself as a centre for e-Commerce.

e-Commerce

Innovations in ICT

Biotechnology

Fields of specialisation that Penang is targeting include biotechnology, Advanced automation advanced automation, agrotechnology and medical devices.

Medical devices - orthopaedics

Agrotechnology

29 NCER

• 3.23 million hectares, 5.6 million people On 31 July 2007, Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) in Penang. Now, Penang is set to become the hub for logistics and progress in a northern corridor that spans 21 districts in 4 states - , , Penang and Northern .

The NCER encompasses a total area of 3.23 million hectares with a population of 5.6 million people - representing a bigger market and more resources.

• Penang’s key roles as a hub in the NCER: 1 Logistics Primary centre for import-export and tourist arrivals 2 Manufacturing Centre of excellence for electrical & electronics industries, and promotion of industries related to multimedia and biotechnology, as well as aquatic, automotive and sustainable products 3 Agriculture Centre for collecting and processing farming produce, and collection / distribution of palm oil fruits 4 Tourism Luxury destination for spa tourism and long-stay programmes, centre for medical tourism and centre for exhibitions, conferences and entertainment.

Becoming a world-class economic region by Year 2025. Key NCER Infrastructure

31