Construction of rubber glove hub to start in June

KUANTAN: The construction of the rubber gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE) hub by the World Gloves International Group City and Hub Development Sdn Bhd (WGC) is set to begin this June.

To be located in the Gebeng industrial area, the hub will be constructed on a piece of land spanning 128.2 hectares, involving an investment of RM100 million, said Pahang State Development Corporation (PKNP) chief executive officer (CEO) Mohd Faizal Jaafar.

"The construction of the first phase is scheduled for completion in December this year.

"This latest investment in this industrial area will definitely bring economic benefits to the locals and the surrounding areas," he said in a speech at the signing ceremony of the land lease agreement between PKNP and WGC held here last night.

The agreement was signed by Mohd Faizal on behalf of the PKNP, while WGC was represented by its CEO Datuk Gianluca Ernesti, witnessed by Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail and State Secretary Datuk Seri Dr Sallehuddin Ishak.

WGC is also working with the Ministry of International Trade and Industry's (MITI) agency, the Malaysian Institute of Automotive, Robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) (MARii), which acts as the technology partner for the project.

The rubber gloves and PPE products are targeted for the markets in Europe, the United States and Southeast Asia.

Mohd Faizal said PKNP is committed to bringing more investments to Pahang -- a state which had been highly dependent on the agriculture and plantation industry -- in order to enable it to grow into one of the developed states through increased investments and the use of technology.

"Since 1995, PKNP has served as a one-stop agency to facilitate investors in building factories in industrial areas in the state, not only in Kuantan, but also in other districts such as Rompin and Maran.

"This would not only benefit the people in Pahang but also boost the state government's revenue, such as through tax collection," he said.

Mohd Faizal said as of December 2020, 657 projects worth RM62.73 billion had been approved in Pahang, of which RM50.40 billion involved foreign investors.

He also noted that last year, MITI had approved 30 projects in Pahang, involving investments totalling RM4.78 billion, which created about 2,600 jobs.

-- BERNAMA