IMMENSE POTENTIAL FOR NCER ONCE EVERYONE WORKS IN UNISON, SAYS NCIA CHIEF

BY TENGKU NOOR SHAMSIAH TENGKU ABDULLAH

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The Northern Corridor Economic Development
Region possesses immense potential to create new sources of wealth, a myriad of
jobs, business opportunities as well as the potential to generate all-round
economic growth.

But for this to happen, it's crucial for all parties, including the
authorities and stakeholders of the various states, to pull together in the same
direction to fully maximise the benefits.

It is all that simple. And that is the challenge for Mohd Annuar Zaini, the
Chief Executive of the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA), who
wants to execute the task with the greatest commitment and dedication.

He is one who fully believes that the NCER can generate plenty of business
and job opportunities for the benefit of the people under NCIA's jurisdiction.

But working hand-in-hand with NCIA is crucial in seeing the fruition
of dreams and plans.

NCIA, is a statutory body created to help realise the NCER or Koridor
Utara, an area covering northern states Penang, Perak, Kedah and Perlis.

It oversees seven economic or strategic divisions namely, agriculture,
manufacturing, tourism, infrastructure, education & human capital, marketing &
social development and corporate & investor services.

" NCIA is a new organisation and this is how I read it after I was given the
trust and responsibility: This is one corridor which comes second only after
Johor (Iskandar Investment), but in terms of the structure and functions, it is
very different," he told Bernama in an interview.

Iskandar Investment was given a chunk of land and the people behind it
were supposed to market something that had been gazetted and allocated, he said.

Annuar said NCIA was the second authority established under the corridor
development concept and NCER was launched in 2007 by former Prime Minister
Abdullah Badawi.

But after NCIA was approved by Parliament and was waiting to be gazetted,
the general election came and the political landscape in all the four states
within its jurisdiction changed with Perak, Penang and Kedah going to the
Opposition.

Annuar said although ruling Barisan Nasional government retained Perlis, the
state then came under the helm of a different Menteri Besar, Dr Md Isa Sabu, who
took over from Shahidan Kassim.

" All the four state (key) representatives (in the form of the Menteris
Besar or Chief Minister) were no more there when this thing (NCIA) was gazetted
as law. And it cannot be gazetted as law until all the states had agreed," he
explained.

Annuar said the three states of opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat --
Perak, Kedah and Penang -- somehow gave their assent and finally Perlis gave the
nod.

The first board meeting was held in July 2008, one year after its
launch, he said, adding that a number of grey areas needed to be addressed
like redundancy and duplication.

In such a situation, he stressed that NCIA had to quickly redefine
itself to move forward and likened it to be more of a strategic thinker or
think-tank for the region's development as the authority had aimed to limit its
staffing to "120 to 150 quality people".

NCIA will also act as a "bridge" now that circumstances had changed
with some states under the Opposition like Penang and Kedah.

Annuar said this is where one has to strike an intelligent balance on the
basis of interpreting the politics and on how one sees the nation progressing.

His main task was to impress state governments that he was not thinking only
from the state's point of view.

" They must have the strategic thinking of knowing what the other
states are doing," he said.

" This is what we are trying to interpret (against the backdrop of political
differences) and it will take time for them to become matured and to accept (the
differences)".

According to Annuar, he believed in the concept of fighting at all cost when
it came to the election but, between now and the election, it was time to serve
the people.

Talking about his pet subject -- tourism in Perak -- he said NCIA would
concentrate on two areas, namely the Belum-Temenggor Tropical Rain Forest, which
is a national treasure, and Taiping, where plans are afoot to transform it into
a heritage tourism city.

The NCIA will complete the Belum-Temenggor Rainforest Master Plan within
eight to 12 months after it recently partnered with the Pulau Banding Foundation
to host a two-day conference aimed at developing an integrated master plan for
the country's precious forest treasure.

As for Penang, Annuar believed that its medical tourism capability
will play a key role as the state has plenty of medical practitioners, including
foreign doctors.

In addition, the exchange rate of the ringgit will also work in the
country's favour.

As for Perlis, Annuar is banking on Taman Teknologi Industri Pauh, which he
expected to have a spillover effect on neighbouring Kedah.

Taman Teknologi Pauh is expected to generate employment for between 8,000
and 10,000 people who would require housing and other amenities such as health
clinics, schools and police stations.

" Therefore, Kedah will become the housing zone for Taman Teknologi Pauh and
this is where the private sector will come in," he said.
-- BERNAMA