YAN: The RM14.4 billion Pulau Bunting gas supply centre and power plant integrated development project will help change the economic landscape of Yan district which is currently dependent on the agricultural sector, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said the development of the project will make Yan akin to Johor's Pengerang district which used to be a fishing village but is now a rapidly developing industrial area.

"I believe Yan will also develop rapidly into an industrial area in the near future, not only the development that can be enjoyed but the residents of Yan, especially the young, will also benefit from the many job opportunities.

"The Federal government is committed to supporting the implementation of this project which involves three main components to make this area a new economic hub in the north," he said when officiating the integrated development project on Pulau Bunting today.

Also present were Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, MMC Group chairman Tan Sri Tajudin Atan, MMC Corp Bhd group managing director Tan Sri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh and several cabinet ministers.

The project is part of an investment worth RM14.4 billion developed by MMC Group, in collaboration with SKS Corp Sdn Bhd.

The project involves three segments, namely the ship-to-ship hub, the construction of a combined cycle gas turbine power plant and the construction of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal.

The Prime Minister said that as the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) chairman, he was pleased with the decision of the MMC Group to invest in the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) which will change the socio-economic landscape of Kedah.

"I am confident that this investment can boost the name of Yan and the state of Kedah in particular to become a hub of the petroleum industry, especially those based on LNG in the region," he said.

He added that the development of the project is also important for Kedah, especially in the central region of the state, to become an investment and industrial destination for the long term.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said the launch of the project as well as the Kedah Rubber City, which had been launched previously involving an investment value of approximately RM24.4 billion, showed that Kedah had never been marginalised by the Federal government.

"Indeed, it is the government's agenda to develop all corners of the country so that no member of Keluarga Malaysia is left out of the blessings of national development.

"This effort shows that every state gets equal treatment and economic opportunities are widely spread throughout the country, especially in areas that were previously left out of the current of rapid progress," he said.

-- BERNAMA