Kota Baru - The Malaysian government has picked Pengkalan Kubor in Kelantan state to spearhead tourism growth in the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand-Growth Triangle region.
Kota Baru, Malaysia (eTN) - Pengkalan Kubor in Kelantan state has been picked to be the regional tourism and trading center under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) development master plan, in the last economic “growth region” launched by the Malaysian government in Peninsular Malaysia.
Development of the Kota Baru City Center at Palekbang to give it a new image will involve investments in tourism infrastructure including hotels, convention centers, water recreational centers and shopping bazaars.
"Pengkalan Kubor can play an important role in the development of tourism and trade within the IMT-GT [Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand-Growth Triangle] area," said Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
"It will become the center of communications for tourism and trade with the Mekong Delta region, comprising Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos," he added. "In view of Kelantan‘s strategic position Pengkalan Kubor will be developed as a progressive and dynamic border town."
The area will be developed into a tourism town, rich in the state‘s traditional culture and heritage. The government will also create a native handicraft settlement to enhance the local handicraft sector, and provide employment opportunities in the state.
Under the master plan, the region is expected to draw 21.4 million foreign tourists and 7.4 million foreign tourists.
The master plan, drawn by national oil company Petronas, covers economic development within the economic region covering Pahang in the south of Peninsular Malaysia, up to Terengganu, Kelantan in the north, as well an northern Johor.
Development of the ECER will take up an area of approximately 66,736 sq km or 51 percent of Peninsular Malaysia‘s land area.
Terengganu state has been designated to be the gateway for tourism and education, Kelantan as a center for trading and human capital development, and Pahang as the manufacturing and logistics hub of the region.
Despite the influx of development being planned for the region, each state will continue to preserve the culture and heritage of the East Coast states, said Abdullah.
According to the plan‘s manager Petronas, which has its own oil town and refining installations based in Terengganu state, development of the new economic region budgeted to cost app. US$33 billion is aimed at boosting growth and reducing poverty in the country‘s east coast region.
It has been planned to provide employment opportunities for up to 560,000 people by 2020, in tandem with attracting about 200 projects in the tourism, education, manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure, oil and gas industries and agriculture in the region.
"The launch of the ECER and its master plan signals a push to accelerate growth in the east cost states in a viable, equitable and sustainable manner aimed at raising incomes and reducing poverty," the Malaysian government said in an official statement during the launch ceremony.
Source: travelvideo.tv (1 November 2007)
