IPOH, Nov 27 — The Perak government has successfully attracted five foreign investors, including two pharmaceutical companies from Shanghai, China, to its newly launched Perak Halal Industrial Park (Perak HIP) following an official working visit to Dubai and Pakistan last week.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the five-day visit, which included the Malaysia International Halal Showcase at Dubai World Trade Centre (November 18-20) and engagements in Lahore, Pakistan (November 21-22), aimed to promote Perak HIP and attract halal industry players.
“Our mission in Dubai was to establish business partnerships and find distributors for halal products. We also showcased Perak’s halal products, along with other Malaysian offerings, to entice investors to Perak HIP,” Saarani said during a press conference at the “Jelajah Nyalaan Bara Api Bersama Cikgu Saarani” ceremony at Hotel Casuarina Meru.
He added that the delegation engaged with India’s Ollam Group and Allana Group, renowned global agro-sector leaders, who have expressed interest in investing in Perak HIP.
“In Lahore, we visited a halal gelatin factory owned by a leading global manufacturer, which will be the first foreign halal company to invest in Perak HIP,” Saarani revealed.
On a separate matter, Saarani dismissed the possibility of Perak adopting a four-and-a-half-day work week for the public sector, a move currently under consideration in Johor.
“There are no plans for this at the moment. Such changes require thorough studies, as conditions and customs differ across states,” Saarani said, referencing Johor’s recent announcement to revert weekend holidays to Saturday and Sunday starting January 1, 2025.