IPOH, April 11 — The Perak government will revive the Commonwealth Youth City project in Tanjung Malim that was shelved during Pakatan Harapan’s rule.
Mentri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad said the project that was implemented under former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir’s administration, was part of plans for the Southern Perak Development Corridor.
“That plan was suspended after the new state government took over in 2018 and with its own policies introduced at that time, the project was shelved.
“Coincidently, when I was appointed Mentri Besar, the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) and the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), which before this only focused on development in North Perak, agreed to expand its plans to the south as well.
He was speaking to reporters after presenting letters of appointment to Perak Youth Council members for the 2021-2022 term here today.
Saarani said the project would be revived because there were several public institutions of higher learning in the district, adding that the project was also expected to have a positive impact on Proton City in Tanjung Malim, which borders the Klang Valley.
“Selangor is also becoming increasingly congested, so they (investors) are moving industries to the Perak-Selangor border. So, we want to take advantage of this by focusing on developing Southern Perak,” he said.
Tanjung Malim had been earmarked before this to be developed as the site for the first Commonwealth Youth City project in the world, leveraging on existing public infrastructure and facilities and collaborations with the government, government-linked companies (GLCs), the private sector and the general public.
This visionary project was announced by Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales during the Commonwealth Youth Summit in November 2017, supported by the Malaysian government and the Perak government in collaboration with the Commonwealth Youth Innovation Centre and youth councils in Malaysia. — Bernama
