IPOH: Ipoh will collaborate with the city of Dalian, China to establish a friendship city that will bring economic and investment benefits to the state.

Ipoh Mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said the investment proposals would focus on the digital economy sector, education as well as tourism and the region besides invigorating economic growth in the city.

"Following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's recent visit to China, we had a meeting with the mayor of Dalian when he came to Ipoh earlier this month.

"Their investment representatives also came and they agreed to create the Ipoh-Dalian Technology Park in the proposed area in Chepor and Kanthan because it is a new area with adequate land," he said after attending the April 2023 Council Plenary Meeting here today.

Rumaizi said he also expected the construction of the technology park to be finalised after the Tourism Promotion Organization (TPO) meeting at the beginning of next month.

At the same time, Rumaizi said a monitoring committee chaired by him will be established at the initial stage and it will be brought to the state level if everything goes well.

"On May 12, a delegation from China will come here and I will listen to the proposals including the cooperation we are planning.

"MBI (Ipoh City Council) will not be acting alone, we will move with associations and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). This development work is a team effort," he said.

-- BERNAMA