MANJUNG, Aug 21 — The Perak government is working to ensure the state’s economy continues to be strengthened so that the gap between Perak, which is a low-income state, and the richest state in the country can be reduced.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the state government will restore the growth momentum of all economic sectors and create new sources of growth.

"The growth of several strategic and high-impact industries such as the Automotive High Tech Valley (AHTV) Proton City, Tanjung Malim; Silver Valley Technology Park (SVTP), Chemor and most recently the Perak@Lekir Halal Industrial Park (Perak HIP) will further encourage quality investments.

"Perak became one of the top four states that attracted approved investments in the country, amounting to RM7.1 billion. It is a very meaningful achievement for Perak where despite the global uncertainty, we have managed to attract investors to continue investing in the state,” he said during a press conference here today after officiating at the groundbreaking ceremony for Perak HIP here today.

Saarani said many young talents from the state had previously sought better job offers outside of Perak.

"It’s not that we don’t have industrial land, it’s just that at that time investors were more interested in Penang and Selangor because of the complete port facilities so we were stuck in the middle.

"Now both states are getting more crowded and congested causing investors to turn their attention to Perak for new industrial investments,” he said when commenting on media reports regarding nine states that recorded growth and lower income levels than the national median household average.

Perak along with Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak, Pahang, Perlis, Sabah, Kedah and Kelantan are said as having low incomes and a slow increase in incomes.

Income data by year also shows that the gap is widening with the income gap between the richest state (Selangor) and the poorest state (Kelantan) getting bigger, from RM2,593 in 2009 to RM6,369 in 2022.

Meanwhile, Saarani said the state government is aware of the situation and this is the most appropriate time to provide employment opportunities with good income.

"The Prosperous Perak 2030 Plan also covers all aspects and we will empower all existing facilities, especially the main port, and we are confident we can compete with other states,” he said. — Bernama