IRDA GOING ALL-OUT TO PROMOTE ISKANDAR MALAYSIA

From Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, Oct 10 (Bernama) -- There will be no let-up on the part of Iskandar
Regional Development Authority (IRDA) in promoting Iskandar Malaysia among
prospective local as well as overseas investors.

IRDA's strategic communications chief, Jameson Pias, said the body would
always be on the lookout for suitable platforms, like the just-concluded
Cityscape Dubai 2009 real estate fair, to showcase Iskandar.

Speaking to Bernama here, he said such events would draw not only real
estate players but also a gamut of related businesses.

"Cityscape Dubai, for example, is a good gathering place as it's not about
participants from Dubai or Middle East alone. You have participation from
various parts of the world.

"And when they go back to their respective countries, they are likely to
spread the word around about what Iskandar Malaysia is all about, and that's
what we want," said Jameson.

This, he said, was in line with IRDA's intention to woo investors from all
across the globe to Iskandar Malaysia, a mixed-use development scheme in
southern Peninsular Malaysia.

Besides property and real estate, Iskandar Malaysia offers investment
opportunities in health services, education, finance, information and
communications technology and creative industries, electrical and electronics,
petrochemical and oleo-chemical, food and agro-processing, logistics and related
services, and tourism.

And the strategies to drive investment into Iskandar Malaysia crafted by
IRDA, the planning and implementing agency of the special economic region, seem
to be working well.

It has attracted US$13.6 billion (US$1=RM3.35) in investments to date, of
which 32 percent are already being operationalised on the ground.

The IRDA team at Dubai Cityscape 2009 was led by its chief executive, Harun
Johari.
-- BERNAMA