Najib launches Perak UTC

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Friday launched the Perak Urban Transformation Centre (UTC), which is another initiative under the Blue Ocean Strategy aimed at providing various services for the convenience of the people in the state.

In his speech at the launch, Najib said the Perak UTC was the third and the largest in the country after that of Melaka and Kuala Lumpur.

He said Perak UTC, which houses 57 government departments and agencies, as well as private and non-governmental organisations, had received 50,000 visitors last month.

Unlike the other UTCs, Najib said the Perak UTC was special because it also had a wet market and a futsal arena, besides the fact that it opens seven days a week from 8.30am to 10pm.

The prime minister said the Perak UTC was established with the aim to redevelop the old town of Ipoh and to make various services available for the people under one roof.

"We managed to ask the officers at the centre earlier and they said the peak hours are between 8.30pm and 10pm.

"This means we have managed to provide convenience to the people. Before this, the working people were probably having a hard time to go to government departments and agencies, but now, they can easily do so after office hours," he told a press conference after the launch.

Najib said the government would also establish a UTC in each state, with Kuantan UTC being under construction and due to open later this year.

"We want to establish the centre in each state so that they will have both the UTC and the RTC (Rural Transformation Centre), except for Federal Territories (which will only have UTC)," he said.

The Perak UTC is located on the second and third floor of the Ipoh Hypermarket, which is formerly the biggest mall in Ipoh, known as Super Kinta. The UTC began its operation on Dec 26, 2012.