Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan
KUCHING: Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) has proposed to rebrand Tanjung Manis as Tanjung Manis Economic Growth Area (T-Mega).
Since the launching and inception of Tanjung Manis Halal Hub in 2009, Tanjung Manis has been widely known as Tanjung Manis Halal Hub.
However, Tanjung Manis economic activities have expanded above and beyond Halal Hub activities.
The proposal was unanimously agreed to by the board members of STIDC during its 88th Board of Management Meeting recently (Dec 7) at Pullman Hotel Kuching.
The meeting was chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who is also Minister for Industrial and Entrepreneur Development, Second Minister for Urban Development and Natural Resources.
The board members present at the meeting were Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, Datu Len Talif Salleh, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Abdul Aziz Husain, Datu Mohd Abu Bakar Marzuki and Datu Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar.
The proposal to rebrand Tanjung Manis to T-Mega was one of the most important matters discussed and deliberated during the 88th board meeting.
Awang Tengah said in a press statement yesterday, in order to align Tanjung Manis in tandem with its progressive development as an important economic growth, the rebranding of Tanjung Manis is called for.
Aerial view of Tanjung Manis port.
“This is seen as a strategic move considering the various economic activities in Tanjung Manis as well as those in the pipe line which include halal industry and food processing, POIC and CODT, shipbuilding, fishmeal, deep-sea fishery, oil and gas, timber processing, food processing, agriculture and aquaculture and river cage culture.”
“Since the opening up of Tanjung Manis as an economic growth area for central region with the support from the government in providing basic infrastructure, the economic activities have grown significantly,” he said.
In 2018, the total investment value in Tanjung Manis for all industries, actual and estimated, is RM3.5 billion. The industries involved are timber, shipbuilding, fish meal, fishery processing, aquaculture, agriculture and CPO bulking.
The export value for timber and timber products in the central region as at October 2018 is RM1.27 billion, Awang Tengah said.
“With this existing and incoming investments, it is projected that the population of Tanjung Manis will increase to 50,000 people by the year 2030 with employment opportunities of 25,000,” he added.
“The future is indeed promising for T-Mega and with this rebranding exercise, T-Mega is poised to be the new strategic investment destination in the central region,” he said.