JAPANESE MAY DECIDE TO SHIFT OPS TO SABAH

Japanese may decide to shift ops to Sabah

Kota Kinabalu Nov 10, 2011: Japanese companies are contemplating moving out of their country and looking at the possibility of investing in Malaysia in view of the high cost of living and high wages in Japan.

Japanese industrialists who are using Thailand as their base are also currently having problem in doing business there as most of their factories have been affected by floods, said Japan Research Industries and Industrial Technology Association (JRI) Director General, Seiji Oshima.

He said this during a visit to the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) head office in Sepanggar near here to study the investment possibility in Malaysia.

The group of seven officials was led by a Committee Member of the Hiroshima Chamber of Commerce, Tadasuke Tayama.

According to Oshima, Japanese industrialists were also looking at other places such as China, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore and Indonesia.

Lawrence G Kimkuan, Senior Marketing Manager of KKIP, in briefing the visitors said there were many favourable factors for Japanese investors to consider coming to Malaysia, especially Sabah.

• Firstly, he said, Sabah has more land for industrial development.
• Moreover, the natural resources in the State are not fully tapped yet.

"There is an abundant supply of raw materials such as silica, rubber, palm oil, oil and gas, bio-tech and timber in Sabah for downstream activities or production of value add products and by-products," Kimkuan told the Japanese study group.

• He told them that there is also a quality work force available at wage levels that are lower than states in Peninsular Malaysia. More over, the cost of living in Sabah is also lower compared to some other Asian countries.
• Sabah also offers a complete package such as good lifestyle with modern shopping facilities, beaches and islands, majestic Mt. Kinabalu, cheap seafood, beautiful golf courses with lower fees and affordable resorts and hotels.
• Not only that, Malaysia also has the advantage of having stability in its political, financial and judicial systems, the KKIP official told them.

During the briefing at KKIP, the Japanese group announced that part of the purpose of their tour of Malaysia was to introduce some of their new technologies. These included the Ultra High Pressure System and the Portable Toilet.

Also present at the briefing was Melvin Disimond, KKIP's Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Operations).