MEDINI, Johor, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- Japanese Conglomerate, the SANKYU Group is set to build its first Human Resources Training Centre outside of Japan in the Medini Central Business District, Iskandar Puteri, Johor. With over 30,000 employees globally and 41 overseas subsidiaries of the Sankyu Group, Medini will be among the global centres for diverse personnel worldwide, being trained in Malaysia. The centre is set to begin operations in 2022.

The groundbreaking ceremony held today in the Medini Central Business District (Medini CBD) was remotely officiated by the Mayor of Iskandar Puteri, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Haji Salehuddin Bin Haji Hassan; SANKYU Southeast Asia Holdings’ Managing Director, Mr Junichi Matsumura; Chairman of Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MIMSB), Yang Berbahagia Datuk Ir Khairil Anwar Ahmad, and Head of MIMSB, Tuan Haji Mohamad Zamani Razali.

The event was held via a video conferencing platform whereby only essential construction and operations staff were onsite as per the recent Movement Control Order (MCO) restrictions.

This announcement comes on the heels of the Company’s statement in August 2020 to build a logistics centre at the Straits of Malacca. The Centre situated in Port Klang will be the hub for shipments from Japan and East Asia transiting to the Middle East and Northern Europe.

“Malaysia continues to be a strategic hub in the region for SANKYU; this is evident in our continuous investments and developments of critical infrastructure in the country,” said Mr Junichi Matsumura.

Dato’ Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), the government’s lead agency in overseeing and driving investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia welcomed SANKYU’s latest undertaking. He said, “SANKYU’s training centre in Malaysia will be its first in South East Asia. Our country continues to be the strategic choice selection of multinationals in the region, given our dynamic transition into high-end services to support and flourish our diversified economy.”

“MIDA is optimistic that this training centre in Malaysia will bring positive economic benefits in terms of job creation, transfer of technology and know-hows through training. This will ultimately create new opportunities for local businesses and vendors. As partners to investors, MIDA will continue pushing for strategic collaborations between foreign and local companies to propel mutually beneficial outcomes, ensuring a sustainable ecosystem for business entities in the country, not only in the present but for the future.”

Globally, the SANKYU Group practices a unique business model that organically blends plant engineering, logistics and operational support; their integration of these interrelated components is unrivalled in the world. In Malaysia, SANKYU serves a broad cross-section of businesses and industrial customers, ranging from steel plants, petroleum refineries, automotive, power plants as well as electrical and electronics manufacturers.

Attending the groundbreaking ceremony today the Mayor of Iskandar Puteri, Yang Berhormat Dato’ Haji Salehuddin Bin Haji Hassan, conveyed: “We are pleased and excited with the groundbreaking today. It is the beginning of the many initiatives that are coming to fruition after years of perseverance by Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Iskandar Investment Berhad, the State government and its various agencies. The SANKYU Group has been a long-time investor in Malaysia since the 1960s with businesses all over Malaysia. Today we are proud and delighted to welcome SANKYU Group’s investment into Medini, Iskandar Puteri. We are sure that SANKYU Group will benefit from the state-of-the-art infrastructure and the network of business ecosystem readily available in Medini”.

The Medini CBD recently received recognition from the State government and the Chief Minister, Datuk Ir. Hasni Bin Mohammad as the Johor’s Hub for Digital Technology and Emerging Technologies. During the 2021 state budget tabling in November 2020, the CBD also obtained funds to accelerate its strategic hub’s development.

As a Digital and Emerging Technology Hub Medini CBD initiatives include a Blockchain Village and South East Asia’s first drone and robotics zone (DRZ Iskandar). Medini CBD hosts prominent companies in the games design industry. Among notable Japanese companies that have already set their footprint here to include OK Blockchain Centre, a subsidiary of OK Wave Group; Deluxe Games, and Okakichi. Their presence has created a demand for highly skilled workers both for local and foreigners, backed by the recent boost from the Johor State government to accelerate growth for the Medini CBD to welcome more companies to take advantage of this unique opportunity.

Head of MIMSB, Tuan Haji Mohamad Zamani Razali said, “The groundbreaking ceremony today marks an important milestone for Medini, as we continue to attract many prominent and reputable tenants. SANKYU is the first of many developments we have been working hard on under the Iskandar NEXT initiative which focuses on the new economy, experience and talent; in addition to the recent relocation of Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor Sdn. Bhd. (KPRJ) and Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara (SPAN), we are optimistic for the future vision for the Medini CBD as a strategic hub for Johor and Malaysia.”

About Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“MIM”) is the master planner and master developer of the 2,230- acre urban township Medini, located in the heart of Iskandar Puteri. A Central Business District of Iskandar Puteri, Medini offers incentives uniquely available to Medini. MIM welcomes investors who are seeking investment opportunities in a prime destination strategically located near Singapore.

Established in 2007, MIM is owned by Jasmine Acres Sdn Bhd (60%), United World Infrastructure (20%) and Mitsui & Co. Ltd (20%). MIM’s largest shareholder, Jasmine Acres, is jointly owned by Khazanah Nasional Berhad and Iskandar Investment Berhad.

For more information, visit www.medinicbd.com

About SANKYU
The Sankyu Group has established a unique business model organically blending plant engineering, logistics and operational support, which stands unrivalled in the world. The Sankyu Group provide total support to customers from the planning stage for new facility project through the design, construction, transportation of heavy loads and installation to the final test run. Furthermore, the Sankyu Group has created a reliable system, by which every aspect of a client’s logistical needs are met, including operational support, facility maintenance, procurement, material handling for production and sales of finished product.

About MIDA
MIDA is the government's principal investment promotion and development agency under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) to oversee and drive investments into the manufacturing and services sectors in Malaysia. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur Sentral, MIDA has 12 regional and 20 overseas offices. MIDA continues to be the strategic partner to businesses in seizing the opportunities arising from the technology revolution of this era. For more information, please visit www.mida.gov.my and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube channel.

Associated image for the media release can be found at https://tinyurl.com/yydvpwyt

SOURCE: Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: MR. AZLAN AKIL
Strategic Communications – Iskandar Investment Berhad
Tel: 019-771 3189
Email: azlan.akil@my-iib.com

Name: MR. MUHAMED SHAFIQUE MOHAMED IQBAL
Strategic Marketing – Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Tel: 019-334 7622
Email: shafique@medini.com.my

Name: MS. WAHIDA ABDUL RAHMAN
Healthcare, Education & Hospitality Division, MIDA
Tel: 03-2267 6622
Email: wahida@mida.gov.my

--BERNAMA