Perdana Menteri berkata separuh daripadanya akan disumbang oleh Projek Pembangunan Bersepadu Penapisan Minyak dan Petrokimia (RAPID) Petronas bernilai RM60 bilion serta jangkaan pelaburan berbilion dolar oleh syarikat Taiwan dan Jerman.

Beliau berkata sebuah syarikat petrokimia Taiwan akan membuat pelaburan di kawasan itu bernilai US$10 juta hingga US$12 juta bagi menampung keperluan RAPID.

Sebelum itu, Petronas telah menandatangani Perjanjian Dasar Induk (HoA) dengan satu kumpulan kimia kepelbagaian Jerman, BASF, bagi membangunkan, membina dan dan mengendalikan kemudahan pengeluaran secara bersama bagi mengeluarkan kimia khusus serta loji bagi mengeluarkan bahan mentah awalan di dalam Kompleks RAPID itu.

Najib yang juga Menteri Kewangan, berkata kesemua projek itu bakal melonjakkan dan mengukuhkan Johor sebagai satu pusat minyak dan gas serta petrokimia yang unggul di Asia serta dunia.

“Projek RAPID ini adalah sebahagian daripada Program Transformasi Ekonomi (ETP) yang kerajaan kenal pasti sebagai projek berimpak tinggi dan mampu membawa perubahan besar kepada taraf sosio ekonomi rakyat.

“Ia mampu menghasilkan kapasiti pengeluaran sehingga 300,000 tong sehari penapisan minyak mentah untuk menghasilkan produk petroleum seperti petrol, bahan bakar jet dan diesel,” katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap pada majlis Pelancaran projek RAPID, di Pengerang, di sini Ahad yang disempurnakan oleh Sultan Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

Yang turut berangkat ke majlis itu ialah Tunku Mahkota Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim serta empat lagi putera baginda.

Najib berkata, projek RAPID yang lebih besar daripada kompleks sedia ada di Kerteh, Gebeng dan Melaka itu juga mampu menghasilkan produk petroleum seperti petrol, bahan bakar jet dan diesel.

“Projek itu juga mampu mengeluarkan 9.0 juta tan produk petroleum dan 4.5 juta tan petrokimia setahun yang boleh mengeluarkan pelbagai bahan kimia berkaitan dan ia nanti akan dilengkapi dengan kilang pengisian gas bagi menerima tangki Gas Asli Cecair (LNG),” katanya.

Beliau berkata, kompleks itu nanti akan terdiri daripada sebuah loji penapisan minyak dengan kapasiti 150,000 tong sehari serta sebuah loji perekah nafta dengan kapasiti 800,000 tan setahun.

Menurutnya, jika kedua-dua buah projek ini berjaya dilaksanakan, wilayah Johor Selatan berupaya memproses 450,000 tong sehari dan perekah nafta sebanyak 3.8 juta tan setahun.

Najib berkata, disebabkan projek RAPID ini dipercepatkan pelaksanaannya, pihaknya yakin projek Petronas akan berupaya mencapai matlamatnua dalam tempoh lima tahun dengan dijangka mula beroperasi akhir 2016.

Selain itu, Najib berkata pembangunan projek itu tetap mengambil kira kepentingan alam sekitar mengikut piawaian antarabangsa.

Beliau memberi jaminan Petronas sentiasa mengutamakan aspek penjagaan alam sekitar dalam setiap projeknya dan mengharap penduduk kawasan itu tidak perlu risau terhadap kesan negatif terhadap alam sekitar.

Penduduk juga akan diberikan pampasan sewajarnya dengan setakat ini sebanyak RM4.1 juta sudah dibayar kepada nelayan terjejas, selain menubuhkan jawatankuasa khas bagi mengendalikannya, katanya.

Pada majlis itu, Najib turut menyampaikanreplika cek RM1.24 juta kepada Ahli Parlimen Pengerang Datuk Seri Azalina Othman untuk membaik pulih 124 rumah nelayan menerusi Projek Khas Perumahan Nelayan.

Sebelum ini, sebanyak RM1.7 juta telah disalurkan menerusi projek khas itu dengan melibatkan 172 buah rumah.

Source : Bernama

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that the Taiwanese petrochemical company would be investing US$10-US$12 billion in the area, catering to RAPID’s needs.

Petronas had earlier signed a Heads of Agreement with German diversified chemical group BASF to jointly develop, construct and operate production facilities for specialty chemicals and plants for precursor materials within the Rapid complex.

Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said that the RAPID project will make Johor one of the biggest hubs for oil and gas as well as petrochemicals in Asia and the world.

“The RAPID project is part of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), and the government has identified it as a high-impact project with enormous economic spin-offs for the people in the area.

“It has a capacity to process 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day to produce petroleum products such as petrol, jet and diesel fuels,” he said in his speech at the project’s launch at Pengerang by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar.

Also present were Tunku Mahkota Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, his four sons, Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman and Petronas president and chief executive Datuk Shamsul Azhar Abbas.

Najib said the mammoth RAPID project, which is bigger than the existing facilities in Kerteh, Gebeng and Melaka, can produce nine million tonnes of petroleum products and 4.5 million tonnes of petrochemicals a year, and will have its own regasification plant to serve Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) tankers.

The Taiwanese investments will include a refinery with a capacity of 150,000 barrels per day and a naptha cracker with a capacity of 800,000 tonnes a year, he added.

With these two projects onstream, the South Johor Economic Region will have a total refinery capacity of 450,000 barrels a day and total naptha cracker capacity of 3.8 million tonnes a year.

With the expedition of the RAPID project implementation, Petronas would be able to begin operations by end-2016, the Prime Minister said.

He added that the project had adhered to strict environmental standards, and the local community need not worry about its possible negative environmental impacts.

Local residents will also be given fair compensation, he said, citing the RM4.1 million already paid to affected fishermen and the setting up of a special committee to handle the matter

At the function, Najib also presented a mock cheque for RM1.24 million to Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman for the repair of 124 fishermen’s houses under a special project, which has already disbursed RM1.7 million involving 172 houses.

Source : Bernama

Perdana Menteri berkata persekitaran perniagaan sedemikian juga dapat menyakinkan syarikat-syarikat luar untuk terus melabur di Malaysia, yang sekaligus memperluas lagi potensi perniagaan syarikat-syarikat tempatan.

“Justeru itu, kita perlu letak perkara ini pada perspektif yang sebenar. Maknanya masa hadapan pengusaha kita tidak boleh dilihat sebagai satu cabaran sosioekonomi sahaja… ini bukan soal model bisnes saja… ini bukan soal potensi perniagaan.

“Pihak pelabur dari luar negara tidak akan membuat keputusan melabur jika mereka tidak mengiktiraf kita sebagai sebuah negara, di mana kerajaan pusatnya dapat menjalankan dasar yang begitu mesra untuk pihak pelabur dalam dan luar negara,” katanya.

Najib berkata demikian ketika berucap merasmikan Program Himpunan Usahawan Mikro, Kecil dan Sederhana anjuran Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri dan SME Corp, di Kompleks Karangkraf, di sini Khamis.

Menurut Najib kerajaan tidak meletakkan politik sebagai keutamaan bagi memastikan pertumbuhan ekonomi negara dapat memberikan kesejahteraan kepada rakyat, termasuk usahawan, selain meningkatkan peluang pekerjaan.

Perdana Menteri bagaimanapun kesal kerana Kerajaan Negeri Selangor mempolitikan soal pembangunan yang boleh memanfaatkan rakyat seperti yang dilakukannya terhadap Projek Langat 2, yang bertujuan menyalurkan air mentah proses dari Pahang ke Selangor bagi mengatasi masalah air yang serius di negeri ini.

“Kalau tak ada air, amat susah bagi usahawan mikro, sederhana… perusahaan besar lagi susah, orang ramai pun lagi susah.

Tiada kerja, perut lapar, marah,” katanya.

Najib, yang juga Pengerusi BN, berkata isu bekalan air di negeri pembangkang ini sangat serius hingga menyebabkan 129 kilang dengan nilai pelaburan RM3.8 bilion, dan mampu menjana 12,300 peluang pekerjaan serta sejumlah projek perumahan, tidak dapat dilaksanakan.

“Kilang-kilang ini tidak dapat diberikan kebenaran (beroperasi) kerana jurang rizab air tinggal 2.4 peratus sahaja. Sepatutnya margin 20 peratus. di Selangor ini begitu nipis sekali cuma 2.4 peratus,” katanya.

Najib juga berkata penduduk Selangor khususnya Shah Alam antara rakyat Malaysia yang bernasib baik kerana dapat menikmati pelbagai pembangunan prasarana selain rantaian perniagaan dan pembangunan kawasan perniagaan dan pusat pertumbuhan baharu hasil usaha gigih kerajaan BN.

“Kita sama-sama dapat menikmatinya kerana dalam tempoh 50 tahun, kerajaan BN telah membangunkan Selangor dengan begitu baik sekali.

“Tentu sekali segala kemudahan yang kita kecapi (di Selangor) hari ini tidak boleh dibangunkan dalam tempoh sepenggal sahaja, malah tempoh masa tidak cukup sepenggal sepenuhnya empat tahun sahaja,” katanya merujuk kepada Kerajaan Selangor pimpinan Parti Keadilan Rakyat yang mendakwa kononnya pembangunan di negeri ini adalah atas usaha mereka.

“Hakikatnya, pembangunan Shah Alam sebagai satu pusat pembangunan baharu bermula sejak 1970-an lagi hasil usaha BN,” katanya.

Beliau berkata pembangunan sesebuah negeri atau pusat pertumbuhan baharu seperti Shah Alam, mengambil masa lebih sedekad dan melalui dua hingga tiga generasi.

Beliau berkata hasil pembangunan pesat di Selangor yang diusahakan BN, negeri ini mendahului negeri lain dalam Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK) iaitu RM130 bilion atau 22.1 peratus daripada keseluruhan KDNK negara pada 2011.

Pada majlis itu, Najib melancarkan Skim Pembiayaan Patuh Syariah dengan saiz dana berjumlah RM500 juta bagi membantu usahawan Perusahaan Kecil dan Sederhana menghasilkan produk atau perkhidmatan berinovasi yang berada pada tahap pengkomersilan.

Beliau berkata skim itu ditawarkan kepada pengusaha PKS yang layak mulai Julai ini dan kerajaan akan membayar dua peratus daripada kadar keuntungan pembiayaan yang dikenakan oleh bank terhadap peminjam.

Kerajaan juga meluluskan pinjaman mikro kredit berjumlah RM2 bilion menerusi TEKUN bagi membantu usahawan kecil dan sederhana sejak 1998.

Najib berkata selain itu, Dana Kecemasan PKS berjumlah RM10 juta disediakan bagi membantu mereka yang perniagaannya terjejas akibat bencana alam seperti banjir, hakisan pantai dan tanah runtuh.

Beliau berkata pada masa ini, terdapat satu juta PKS di seluruh negara yang memainkan peranan penting dalam pembangunan ekonomi negara.

Sumber : Bernama

Beliau berkata langkah itu sebagai timbal balik usaha republik berkenaan yang menyediakan tanah seluas 55 kilometer persegi di Qinzhou, Nanning sebagai Taman Perindustrian Qinzhou, projek usaha sama China dan Malaysia.

“Kuantan dilihat sebagai titik yang terdekat dengan Nanning dan untuk itu saya telah memohon kepada kerajaan negeri Pahang supaya menyediakan tanah seluas 1,500 ekar (600 hektar) untuk China bagi melaksanakan Taman Perindustrian Bersekutu) di sini,” katanya.

Perdana Menteri berkata demikian ketika berucap pada program bersantai bersama rakyat, di Taman Gelora di sini, yang turut dihadiri isteri beliau Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob serta beberapa Menteri Kabinet yang lain.

Najib berkata pada masa ini kerajaan sedang meneliti secara mendalam pelaksanaan projek itu, termasuk sesi perjumpaan yang telah diadakan bersama pelabur China.

“Bagi sedikit masa lagi untuk kita muktamadkan perkara ini, dan sekiranya ia dapat dilaksanakan kelak, tahap pelaburan di Kuantan, pasti akan dapat kita capai pada tahap lebih tinggi lagi,” katanya.

Bulan lepas, Najib menyaksikan pemeteraian memorandum persefahaman usaha sama antara dua syarikat Malaysia – Rimbunan Hijau Group dan SP Setia Berhad dengan dua syarikat China, Chian Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group dan Qinzhou Jingu Investment Company, di Nanning bagi menjayakan projek Taman Perindustrian Qinzhou.

Taman perindustrian di kawasan seluas 55km persegi dekat Pelabuhan Bebas Qinzhou dan menghadap Teluk Beibu itu akan dibangunkan menerusi tiga fasa selama 15 tahun.

Pelabuhan Qinzhou merupakan pelabuhan di China yang terletak paling dekat dengan negara anggota Asean.

Terdahulu, Najib meluangkan masa kira-kira dua jam beramah mesra dengan pengunjung serta melawat gerai-gerai yang menyediakan makanan tradisional Pahang secara percuma kepada pengunjung seperti patin tempoyak, sambal hitam Lipis dan lemang periuk kera serta kraftangan Pahang.

Hujan lebat sejak 8.30 pagi tidak menghalang kira-kira 15,000 orang memenuhi kawasan rekreasi terkenal itu.

Najib berkata program santai bersama rakyat seumpama itu sangat penting dalam mendekatkan para pemimpin dengan rakyat, sekaligus suara rakyat dapat didengar.

Menurutnya pemilihan Taman Gelora sebagai lokasi majlis itu sangat signifikan dengan program berkenaan memandangkan kawasan riadah itu merupakan tumpuan orang ramai, khususnya warga Kuantan, melakukan aktiviti santai pada hujung minggu dan hari biasa.

Sumber : Bernama

He said the move was to reciprocate China’s efforts to keep aside a 55 sq km land in Qinzhou, Nanning as the Qinzhou Industrial Park, a joint venture project between China and Malaysia.

“Kuantan is seen as the closest point Nanning and with that I have requested the state government of Pahang to prepare a 1,500-acre land for China to set up the sister industrial park here,” he said.

Najib said this in his speech during a gathering with the rakyat at Taman Gelora here today, which was also attended by his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Menteri Besar Pahang Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob and several ministers.

Najib said the government was carrying out detailed studies on the implementation of the project and have had meetings with investors from China towards that.

“Give us a little bit more time to finalise this and if it eventually realised, we would be able to see a higher level of investments especially in Kuantan.”

Last month, Najib witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding by two Malaysian companies, Rimbunan Hijau Group and SP Setia Bhd with two Chinese companies, Chian Guangxi Beibu Gulf International Port Group and Qinzhou Jingu Investment Company in Nanning for the Qinzhou Industrial Park.

Source : Bernama

Kelantan Umno liaison chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has asked him to study the proposal from the technical aspect and cost estimated at RM2 billion.

“I will inform the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) that the project cost is about RM2 billion. The longer we wait, the higher it will cost,” he told reporters after launching Pengkalan Chepa Halal Park near here Sunday.

Gua Musang Member of Parliament Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah proposed the construction of Kota Baharu-Gua Musang highway to overcome traffic congestion during festive season and as catalyst to economic growth in Ulu Kelantan.

The seasoned Kelantan politician made the proposal at the opening of ‘Karnival Komuniti 1Malaysia’ by Najib on Friday.

Mustapa said Kelantan Umno supports the proposed construction of the highway as it would provide many benefits to the people and development of the state.

Source : Bernama

The 4Ks are keilmuan, kemahiran, keusahawan and kepimpinan (knowledge, skills, entrepreneurship and leadership).

Najib said since a long time ago, Malaysian women had been given recognition and equal rights.

Now the 4K approach would be able to bring the status of rural women to a higher level, he said.

“The fate of women in this country is far better as they no longer have to fight for gender equality (like in certain countries).

“Currently, 68 per cent of students at the country’s higher learning institutions are women, while some of the influential positions like Central Bank governor and director-general of the Economic Planning Unit are held by women, and the previous chairman of the Securities Commission is also a woman,” he said when launching a Girl Guides “Turun Padang” (going to the ground) programme, here, Sunday.

Also present were his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is the president of the Girl Guides Association of Malaysian (GGAM), and Tengku Puan Pahang Tengku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, who is the GGAM Pahang branch president.

Najib said in keeping abreast with current developments, women in the rural areas needed to increase their knowledge including in parenting, to hone their skills in certain fields to generate income, and be involved in business and build leadership qualities to further empower themselves and their family.

He said the government would always support whatever programme aimed at empowering women in this country.

Rosmah in her speech said that the community activities carried out by the Malaysian Girl Guides was to build the spirit of concern for the people and volunteerism, to teach and produce more women entrepreneurs, and to improve their knowledge and skills.

Rosmah said themed ‘Empowering Rural Women’, she said the Girl Guides “Turun Padang” programme was also aimed at providing rural women and those in remote areas the opportunities to increase their income without totally depending on aid.

“In this respect, the Girl Guides Association will act as the facilitator, link and mover in efforts to assist rural women to acquire knowledge and skills through cooperation from the relevant agencies,” she said.

Source : Bernama

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in announcing the allocation, said the fund was to provide additional facilities to local residents.

“So long as we can afford it, we will assist the people with better facilities as the people must be cared for in line with “people first concept”,” he said when addressing guests attending a 1Malaysia People’s Feast in Kampung Simpang Tiga, Sungai Acheh here today.

The allocation was for building a multi-purpose hall in Nibong Tebal worth RM3 million, repainting Nibong Tebal apartments (RM2 million), repairing houses in Indian and Chinese villages (RM2 million) and rebuilding of Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) Al-Amin in Nibong Tebal (RM1.5 million).

Najib, who is on a one-day working visit to Penang, is later scheduled to attend a meeting with Indian and Chinese non-governmental organisations (NGO), lecturers, student leaders and students of Kompleks Cahaya Siswa, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

More than 20,000 people attended the event including former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, former Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Senator Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Penang MCA chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, who is also the Tourism Minister and Penang BN component party leaders.

Apart from that, Najib said BN was a party consistent in its struggle and care for the people to ensure the people comprising various races live in comfort and harmony.

“The BN government is a consistent government, I do not say we are perfect in everything, we too have our weaknesses but they are small. However, our deeds since the past have brought much changes to the landscape of each family in Malaysia,” he said.

The prime minister said several development plans were being formulated to achieve advanced nation status for Malaysia in future and one of the them was to make Penang a development hub for national economic growth.

“We will create several more hubs because in our new planning, we see large cities as the nerve centres of national economic growth and Penang is one of them.

“We will include in BN’s manifesto, our promise to make Penang a key national hub with several plans which would be drafted soon,” he said.

In his speech, Najib also replied to allegations of several political critics which said BN would not change: ‘BN is capable of carrying out changes and we can undergo change.’

He also stressed that Umno was a party which took care of the interests of all and was also a protector of all races besides being fair in all aspects.

“This is indeed the policy and principle of BN’s struggle for justice for all races,” he added.

Source : Bernama

He said the project which was launched in August 2008, to date had succeeded in generating fixed income for the Orang Asli community involved by between RM750 and RM1,200 a month.

“We project that in five years time, the Pekan Agropolitan Project in Runchang and Batu 8 here will be able to produce up to 25,000 heads of dorper sheep which will make Pekan the biggest hub for the livestock in Southeast Asia.

“Our hope is to see the income of the Orang Asli participants continue to rise and target in the near future they should be able to derive a monthly income that exceeds RM5,000,” he said when officiating the “Pesisiran Warisan Pekan” project and East Coast Economic Region Development Council’s dorper sheep livestock auction, here Saturday.

According to him, attaining this level of income could be achieved owing to the dedication shown by the Orang Asli participants of the project, particularly their commitment to work schedules.

He said the commitment could be seen in first dorper sheep auction organised by ECERDC last year which generated RM265,000 from the sale of 465 dorper sheep.

“I hope this year we can get more sales compared to last year owing to the productivity of the participants,” he said.

Meanwhile, Najib, who is also Member of Parliament for Pekan, said the “Pesisiran Warisan Pekan”( Pekan coastal heritage town project), when completed, would be able to attract some 700,000 local and foreign visitors by 2020.

He said the project entailed upgrading Jalan Sultan Ahmad and the Sultan Abu Bakar Museum, and building trading kiosks, a modern food court, a marketing and exhibition complex for the small and medium industry, and a pedestrian bridge connecting the museum with a mosque.

He said the infrastructure development would enable Pekan to host various events such as the Pekan People’s Carnival, which could be turned into an annual affair to woo more travellers to Pahang and the town.

“All the projects are expected to increase tourist arrivals to Pekan to 700,000 a year in 2020 thereby creating about 935 new jobs.

“The temporary closure of the Abu Bakar Museum has caused tourist arrivals to the town to drop by 72 per cent, from 56,502 visitors in 2007 to 16,045 in 2009,” he said.

According to him, the Pekan heritage coastal project was another ECERDC project in encouraging tourism activities in the district of Pekan which would benefit Pekan residents with the generation of new jobs and entrepreneurs apart from providing a recreational location for the residents there.

On that, Najib said the government had never broken its promises to the people but had always implemented orderly development in bringing about transformation for their betterment.

“Other groups merely make promises especially during election season but the government today is a government that turns vision into a reality.

“Vision can only become reality if the people continue to support the government of today whether at national or state level,” he said.

Source : Bernama

He said with such low payment, the people could enjoy service on par with first class ward facilities and help reduce their burden.

“Mothers are charged only RM3 for delivery including for treatment, room, medicine and food. This rate is probably the world’s best.

“The facilities are of very good quality, with clean and comfortable rooms and for civil servants no fees are charged. I hope many more such centres are established,” he told reporters after opening the maternity centre here Thursday.

It is another good healthcare service provided by the government in the interest of the people and to provide proper treatment with minimal fee.

In his speech earlier, Najib hopes that the centre equipped with phototherapy treatment facilities and clinics for antenatal and gynaecology services will provide give the best service.

The centre will also have obstetricians, gynaecologists and paediatricians daily to ensure that patients receive quality, professional and effective treatment.

“It will provide comfort and a conducive environment to mothers as husbands are allowed to accompany spouses in accordance with the concept of “husband-friendly hospital,” he added.

The maternity centre which started operation on Jan 30 in Precinct 8 only caters to low risk maternity cases and not limited to residents of Putrajaya.

Source : Bernama