Segamat's participation in ECER will boost economic status of residents

SEGAMAT: The declaration of Segamat as a new development area under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) today will bring huge changes to the economic status of local residents in the next five years.
Segamat Member of Parliament, Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam, said the changes included increasing the residents' income through opportunities to become new entrepreneurs, as well as creating jobs to the youth community to discourage them from migration to urban areas.
He said the declaration was also important as Segamat was the rendezvous point for people from Muazam Shah, Pahang and the surrounding areas to get their basic needs without having to go to big towns.
"From that angle, it makes sense that it should become an economic zone as its resources are similar ... so we actually can develop it for the benefit the people," he told reporters after the ground-breaking ceremony of the Gemas-Johor Baru electric double-tracking railway project here, today.
The event was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak and was also attended by Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
Subramaniam, who is also Health Minister, said with various projects that had been and would be implemented in Segamat including a plan to turn the district into a biomass and agro-based industry centre, he was confident the move would complete the government's efforts in further driving the economic sector in the area.
"Recently, a company from the United States had invested in the biomass sector in Segamat. That's why I have proposed to make this district as a biomass centre. And with its participation in the ECER, we can include biomass as part of a new growth for the corridor," he said.
Commenting on the Prime Minister's announcement to redevelop Segamat Inland Port, Subramaniam said it was the right move to rejuvenate the area.
Nevertheless, there are several matters that needed to be undertaken such as providing better infrastructure to facilitate more entrepreneurs from Segamat district and surrounding areas to use the port to export their products.
"We will discuss with the inland port authority on the next course of action that would give it a quick boost to attract more entrepreneurs to use the port," he said. — Bernama