techpark@enstek Awarded HALMAS Certification

PHOTO: TH Properties CEO Zaharuddin Saidon (left) receiving the HALMAS certification from HDC CEO Dato’ Seri Jamil Bidin (right).  Looking on are TH Properties Chairman Datuk Azizan Abdul Rahman (second from left), Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato’ Jacob Dungau Sagan (centre) and HDC Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Syed Jalaludin Syed Salim (second from right).

techpark@enstek is officially HALMAS certified. The 524-acre technological hub development in Bandar Enstek, which houses the largest cluster of local and international biotechnology-driven life sciences companies in Malaysia, received the certification from Dato’ Jacob Dungau Sagan, Deputy Minister of International Trade & Industry today. Dato’ Jacob was representing the Minister, Dato’ Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed.

The event also saw the official launch of HALMAS or HALAL MALAYSIA which is the special status reserved for Halal parks which have complied with the requirements under the guidelines of the Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC).

Also present at the event was Dato’ Seri Jamil Bidin, CEO of the Halal Industry Development Corporation.

According to Zaharuddin Saidon, CEO of TH Properties Sdn Bhd who received the award, the HALMAS certification presented by HDC was another significant milestone in the development of techpark@enstek which has differentiated itself through focusing on life sciences and the biotechnology industry.

“We are indeed honoured to be one of the first companies in Malaysia to be accorded HALMAS status, and the first technology park to receive the HALMAS status which enables companies operating at techpark@enstek to be eligible for incentives provided by HDC. End users and customers will be assured that the products produced in techpark@enstek are of the highest quality, integrity and safe for consumption.

“techpark@enstek’s infrastructure and facilities as well as proximity to the international air and cargo hub at KLIA, has positioned it to play a major role in the government’s agenda of increasing investments in biotechnology-driven companies, with an emphasis on nurturing quality, high value-added and knowledge-intensive industries, ” said Zaharuddin.

techpark@enstek was officially launched by Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, the then Minister of International Trade & Industry on August 16, 2007.

Biotechnology-based companies operating at techpark@enstek include FELDA’s Biotech Centre which specializes in Oil Palm Research & Development through genetic engineering and Pure Circle (formerly known as Stevian Biotechnology Industries), the world number one producer of Reb-A extract, a natural sweetener for the food and beverages industry.

“The biotechnology companies currently at techpark@enstek are engaged in, among others, R&D and manufacturing of raw materials for pharmaceuticals and food industry, pharmaceutical products and specialized health equipment,” said Zaharuddin.

techpark@enstek will also be home to two high-impact government projects; namely the 9Bio Project which is the proposed development of the National Institute of Natural Products, Vaccines, and Biologicals. It is envisioned that this development will spearhead the production of Halal vaccines for Malaysia’s own consumption as well as export to other countries.

Another government project in the pipeline in techpark@enstek will be JAKIM’s proposed Halal Complex which is aimed at enhancing Malaysia’s capabilities and infrastructure in developing a global HALAL accreditation and reference hub.

The latest investor in techpark@enstek is Coca Cola Bottlers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the world-renowned Coca Cola Company which is building a state-of-the-art bottling plant on a 30-acre site; with an estimated investment of more than RM1 Billion.

Bandar Enstek is strategically located just 10 minutes from the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) and the Main Terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). It is only 28 minutes from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre via the ERL and a mere 5 minutes from the Sepang F1 Circuit.

The 5,116-acre Bandar Enstek is a joint venture between TH Properties Sdn Bhd and the Negeri Sembilan State Development Corporation (PKNNS). With its own dedicated postcode of 71760 Bandar Enstek, the township offers an extensive network of industrial, commercial, residential and institutional properties supported by first class facilities, amenities and infrastructure.

To date, Bandar Enstek has attracted investments worth more than RM1.5 billion from government bodies and private organisations seeking to establish institutions of higher learning and research, as well as training facilities.

The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education have purchased 1,000 acres to house a university and other educational institutions namely Tunku Kursiah College, Institut Aminuddin Baki, Maktab Perguruan Teknik, Institut Pendidikan Bahasa, Akademi Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Pusat Latihan Bahasa Inggeris dan Institut Perpustakaan dan Maklumat Negara.

Other institutions that have developed their facilities at Bandar Enstek include Akademi Audit Negara while the Fire & Rescue Department Malaysia has also confirmed plans to establish its Research and Development centre and training academy in the township.

A premier international all-girls boarding school, ‘Cempaka Ladies’ College’ (CLC), developed by Cempaka Group of Schools on a 35-acre site has begun operations.

EPSOM College of United Kingdom was recently awarded the licence to operate an international school in Bandar Enstek on a proposed 50 acres site.  Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) the APEX University, and Cambridge Business School will start operating in a temporary campus mid next year while waiting for its permanent campus to be ready as part of the Kuala Lumpur Education City (KLEC) project by 2013.

Bandar Enstek is expected to be completed in the year 2025 with a Gross Development Value (GDV) estimated at almost RM9.2 billion.