Saturday March 31, 2007
Opening up of IDR not a threat to Malays
JOHOR BARU: The opening up of the Iskandar Development Region to foreigners should not be seen as a threat to the Malays.
Entrepreneurial and Cooperative Development Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin said that Malays should take up the challenge to compete against foreign companies.
Under the IDR, companies are able to source capital globally and employ foreigners without restrictions, but Khaled said it only applied to the Free Trade Area.
“The Free Trade Area is not a new concept in Malaysia. Under the IDR, the area is only 2,023ha, which is 1% of the IDR.
“Don't tell me we are afraid, that we cannot compete against the 1%?” he told reporters after launching the RFID And Visa Wave All-in-One Lifestyle Card at City Square yesterday.
Khaled said locals should not be apprehensive that they would have fewer job opportunities, as foreign companies would employ locals if the pay they sought were reasonable.
“People ask why can’t our unemployed graduates cannot look for jobs overseas. So now, why can’t we let foreign companies open up here and employ our graduates?” he said.
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