BAGAN DATUK: All products produced here will carry the label ‘Bagan Datuk Ori’ in an effort to further popularise the district, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the effort was also a step towards promoting Bagan Datuk’s products to the international level.
“To further promote the effort, a special retail space dedicated to marketing of all related products would be set up at Dataran Bagan Datuk,” he said his speech during a working visit to QL Foods Sdn Bhd’s factory at Hutan Melintang here today.
The deputy prime minister said he had approved the branding of all the products from the district and the packaging must carry the label ‘Bagan Datuk Ori’.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid, who is also Bagan Datuk member of Parliament, said he welcomed the seafood-based company’s plan to expand its factory operation to 20.2 hectares.
He said QL Foods produced frozen seafood and employed 1,200 workers, of which 60 per cent of them were locals.
“The expansion will give Bagan Datuk’s children the chance to work here.
“We encourage automation but there are still a lot of workforce required, and I hope the plant will reduce the number of foreign workers and prioritise local workers in the future,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid said he was proud of QL Foods which is a subsidiary of QL Resources Bhd, a company listed on Bursa Malaysia.
“QL has a turnover of RM3.5 billion, and I understand that the products are not only for the domestic market but exported overseas worth RM400 million,” he said. — Bernama