Natural gas boost for Tanjung Malim industrial areas

IPOH: The Perak government is seeking approval from the Energy Commission to build a natural gas pipeline network from Bidor to Tanjung Malim to serve Proton City and the nearby industrial areas.

Menteri Besar Datuk Saarani Mohamad said today the 62-km-long pipeline will be built at a cost of RM105 million from Kampung Kuala Bikam in Bidor to Proton City in Tanjung Malim.

The pipeline will be a boost for growth of the automotive industry in Tanjung Malim as well as at least eight industrial areas nearby besides having the potential to draw new investment there, he told a press conference after a meeting of the State Executive Council at Bangunan Perak Darul Ridzuan here.

"Gas Malaysia Berhad, with the cooperation of Invest Perak, local authorities and the District and Land Office, is identifying industrial clusters in the area that can be prospective consumers (of natural gas)," he said.

He said the proposed natural gas pipeline network will be the sixth in the state, after those in Parit Buntar (of eight kilometres), Taiping (46 km), Sitiawan (38 km), Teluk Intan (27 km) and Kinta Valley (140 km).

Saarani said today's state executive council meeting also decided to defer the sale by open tender of Istana Raja Muda in Jalan Syed Abu Bakar, Teluk Intan, after taking into account public opinion on the matter.

He said the decision on the sale was made after the proposed revocation of palace reserve land of 2.092 hectares was approved at a state executive council meeting in July last year and gazetted in March this year.

He also explained that no public objection had been registered when an investigation was made on Jan 21 this year into the objection period, thus prompting the Hilir Perak District and Land Office to go ahead with the sale by tender for commercial and mixed development.

On another matter, Saarani advised Perak residents aged 18 years and above who have yet to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to do so by walking in to any of the 22 vaccination centres that will be open until Oct 31.

He said that as of Monday (Sept 20), up to 1.55 million or 83.57 per cent of Perak residents aged 18 and above had taken their first dose of the vaccine while 1.15 million or 61.94 per cent had taken both doses.

-- BERNAMA