Work with 承先启后 共创永续遗 us, Chow 产城 tells 《珍珠快讯》 pg MBPP 9 封面 JULY 1 – 15, 2018 JULY Story by Victor Seow Pix by Chan Kok Kuan CHIEF Minister Chow Kon Yeow told the media on June 26 that the state gov- Penang ernment had written offi- cially to invite Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma to visit Penang and that Finance Minister Lim Guan awaits Eng had also extended the invitation to Ma when they met in Kuala Lumpur re- cently. The chief minister said Jack Ma’s this during a joint press conference with Minister Counselor of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Malaysia Chen Chen, who had traveled all the way to visit Penang from Kuala Lumpur by car to pay the former a courtesy visit in Komtar. “Mr Chen had highlight- ed that Jack Ma has met with Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in KL and invited Jack Ma to visit Penang. The state government had written officially to Mr Both Chow (right) and Chen believe that bilateral ties between Malaysia and China will only change for the better post GE14. Jack Ma’s office in KL and of Mission of the Chinese and Ma in Putrajaya and the Chinese enterprises with equality and mutual bene- invited him to make a visit Embassy in Malaysia and painstaking preparations full capability to invest here fit. I have the full confi- to Penang to look at our he remarked on the cleanli- that were done to facilitate (in Penang),” Chen said. dence that it will stand up ecosystem in regards to ness of the state and how the occasion. “After the regime change to any test and will only digital commerce because Penangites care for the “To my knowledge, about in Malaysia on May 9 this change for the better,” he it is also an important agen- environment which very 30 Chinese companies had year, many people had mis- added. da of the Penang state gov- much impressed him. He invested in Penang, making givings on the future coop- Chen was accompanied ernment,” Chow told the attributed these to the their own contributions to eration between China and by Acting Consul-General media. cleaner and greener poli- the state’s economic growth Malaysia. Many asked me of the PRC in Penang Mdm Both Chow and Chen had cies initiated by the state and the upgrading of indus- that whether there would be Zhang Li, Second Secretary a closed door discussion for government for the past trial technology. China was any change in China-Ma- of the PRC in Malaysia Li about 15 minutes prior to decade. the largest source of FDI to laysia bilateral relations. I Lingchao and attaché of the the commencement of their The Chinese diplomat Penang in 2016 with the would like to say that, the Consulate-General of the joint press conference. also related the recent total investment of the sin- cooperation between China PRC in Penang Shen Feifei. It was Chen’s first visit meeting which took place gle year reaching RM700 and Malaysia has always Also present was Chow’s to Penang since he assumed between Prime Minister million. The Chinese gov- been carried out on the ba- political secretary Teh Lai duties as the Deputy Chief Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad ernment will support more sis of mutual respect, Heng. 2 July 1 – 15, 2018 Boosting Malaysian logistics industry CHIEF Minister Chow Kon Yeow well as support services,” the finance and Finance Minister Lim Guan minister noted. Eng were the guests of honour at According to ICCL Group of the official opening of a new one- Companies managing director stop logistics centre by Integrated Kevin Lim, the new logistics cen- Cold Chain Logistics Sdn Bhd tre is not a conventional warehouse (ICCL) for regional distribution but is equipped with Automated and centre of excellence for halal Storage and Retrieval System (AS/ logistics in its phase 5 development RS) which requires no personnel on July 7. for its operations. Chow (centre) listening attentively while a B. Braun personnel explains the significance of a surgical The RM51 million new logistics The new logistics centre will tool manufactured by the company. With Chow are (from left) Ramasamy, Abdul Halim and Chong Eng. centre by ICCL will provide Ma- bring the total capacity of ICCL in laysia with new growth opportuni- Penang to approximately 24,000 ties in the Asean logistics industry. pallet positions. Getting up close with B. Braun “In recent years, through our With a multiple temperature strategic collaborations, both at storage system, ICCL aims to be- Story by Victor Seow point presentation on the cor- now includes specialisation in federal and state levels, the Penang come a regional distribution centre Pix by Adleena Rahayu porate overview of the com- 18 therapeutic areas, 5,000 state government has made great that offers comprehensive total Ahmad Radzi pany was given by B. Braun products and 120,000 articles. efforts to boom and grow Penang’s logistics cold chain solutions with Asia Pacific president Anna B. Braun employs a total status as a logistics hub and a dy- value added services such as sup- CHIEF Minister Chow Kon Maria Braun. labour force of 7,683 in its five namic import and export gateway ply chain solutions, cross border Yeow and several key members She gave a detailed account manufacturing plants in Penang for the northern states of Malay- services, repackaging, cross-dock- of his administration visited B. of the background and achieve- which have a combined land sia,” Chow said in his speech. ing, VMI solution and so on. Braun Medical Industries on ments of B. Braun throughout area of 180,000 sq m. “The decision by ICCL to operate Also present were Bukit Tengah July 5 and were given a guided the decades since the German The medical and pharmaceu- and expand its business from Penang assemblymember Gooi Hsiao tour by key personnel of the MNC first arrived on Penang’s tical products manufactured in is highly commendable to support Leung, investPenang CEO Datuk German medical and pharma- shores in 1972. these plants are exported to the economic growth in the northern Loo Lee Lian, ICCL Group of ceutical device multinational According to Anna Maria, Europe, China, USA and Japan. region. Penang is well known for its Companies chairman Lim Poo corporation. the portfolio of the corporation, To date, the total investment established logistics infrastructure of Koy and directors Datuk Dr. Mohd Prior to the commencement which was founded by Julius by B. Braun in Penang amounts land, rail, air and sea operations as Nordin Mohd Nor and Jeffery Tan. of the guided tour, a power- Wilhelm Braun back in 1839, to RM4.75 billion. Others in Chow’s entourage were Deputy Chief Minister II Prof. Dr P. Ramasamy, exco members Chong Eng (Women & Family Development, Gen- der Inclusiveness and Non-Is- lamic Religious Affairs), Dr Afif Bahardin (Health, Agricul- ture & Agro-Based Industry and Rural Development), Da- tuk Abdul Halim Hussain (Do- mestic Trade & Consumer Af- fairs and Entrepreneur Devel- opment) and Yeoh Soon Hin (Tourism Development and Heritage, Culture & Arts) as well as the chief minister’s political secretary Teh Lai Heng. The chief minister’s entou- rage also visited Aesculap Academy, which is a division under B. Braun which special- ises in products and services related to surgery. July 1 – 15, 2018 3 More free bus routes to tackle trafficMORE free bus services will be thus with thewoes launch of these free launched by the state government buses, we hope we can attract to address traffic issues in Penang. more riders,’’ said Azmin. Chief Minister Chow Kon Chow stated that, the bus Yeow made this announcement launched at Air Itam received (From left) Lim and Jagdeep (giving thumbs-up) seen rejoicing over the good news while posing for a during the press conference held overwhelming response with an group picture during the site visit. after the swearing-in ceremony of average of 6,000-7,000 passengers the Penang Island City Council per day. (MBPP) councillors at the City ‘’Many things had to be done, Kota Giam PPR project Hall on July 3. for us to shift the people’s mindset The free bus service under the to use public transport instead of Penang Congestion Alleviation their own transport as many fac- will offer 2,000 units Transport (CAT) plan was tors revolve in it, such as the aspect launched on April 1 this year to of convenience. Story by Tanushalini ing and Local Government Min- the site visit. tackle traffic woes due to an in- “CAT bus is under the state Moroter istry are here for a technical visit Also present during the visit crease in the number of vehicles government where RM15 million Pix by Chan Kok Kuan of the proposed site to develop was Sungai Pinang assembly- on the road. is spent for its service per year,” PPR units. member Lim Siew Khim. “There are a total of 12 routes added Chow. EXCO for Local Government, “Last year, the ‘supposed’ According to Jagdeep, the PPR (six each on the island and main- On a separate matter, Chow Housing and Town & Country visit by the National Housing Unit units can help to house some land). said the Penang government will Planning Jagdeep Singh on June which was deemed as something 2,000 families. “We have already launched wait for the completion of the 29 announced that some 2,000 important for Penangites who are “This is a very strategic loca- four of the routes, namely Air Itam feasibility studies on the undersea People’s Housing Project (PPR) in need of help with regards to tion, we are in the centre of the (April 1), Bukit Mertajam (April tunnel before looking into the units will be built soon for Pen- housing was cancelled three days city, if this (PPR units) had been 10), Balik Pulau (April 20) and proposal by Consortium Zenith angites.