GEORGE TOWN, June 21 — Penang is running out of plots above 10 acres (four hectares) in its Batu Kawan Industrial Park and is planning to develop several thousand acres in South Seberang Perai, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said today.

The lawmaker said the state is increasing efforts to have more industrial land ready to meet investors’ demands in the next two to three years.

"We have very little lands that are above 10 acres left, we still have lands that are below 10 acres,” he told a press conference after the opening ceremony of Semicon Southeast Asia 2022 at Setia Spice Convention Centre.

The focus for the next three years is to develop the Bandar Cassia Technology Park and East Batu Kawan to create a total 900 acres, he said.

He said some of the lands will be ready by 2023, 2024 and 2025 onwards while at the same time, the state is looking at acquiring more lands in Byram, also in South Seberang Perai.

Chow, who was responding to a question on whether Penang is facing land scarcity to meet industrial investors’ needs, added that a few thousand acres will be acquired in Byram to be turned into industrial parks.

"There are two forthcoming areas in North Seberang Perai which is a work in progress and it will make more lands available for development in future,” he said.

He said one could potentially create about 800 acres while the next could house 2,000.

"There are also smaller industrial parks by private developments that caters mainly for the small medium enterprises (SMEs),” he said.

He said with the focus on Bandar Cassia and East Batu Kawan now, the lands in the areas will be made available first.

Earlier, in his speech, Chow said Penang has made a name for itself in the global electrical and electronics sector.

He said Penang is celebrating its 50th anniversary of industrialisation with the tagline ‘50 years of excellence and beyond’ so the state is committed to upholding its conducive ecosystem to continue to stimulate the industry for the next 50 years.

"Penang’s world-class industrial parks equipped with excellent amenities have also strengthened our position as a strategic site for companies with a stake in advanced manufacturing, R&D and knowledge intensive Industry 4.0 operations,” he said.

He said Penang has over 350 multinational companies and 4,000 SMEs that has created numerous supply chain localisation opportunities for homegrown players.