NCIA denies taking over Kulim Hi-Tech Park

SUNGAI PETANI: The Northern Corridor Implementation Authority (NCIA) has denied reports that it plans to take over Kulim Technology Park Corporation (KTPC), the developer and manager of the Kulim Hi-Tech Park.

NCIA chief executive Datuk Redza Rafiq said the agency was not a trading or business entity, and its relationship with KTPC was as partners in developing the high technology industry and the park.

He was responding to comments in several blogs that claimed that NCIA would take over KTPC from the Kedah government following the supposed failure of the present KTPC management to run the Kulim Hi-Tech Park properly and bring in new investors.

Earlier, Redza attended the handing over a fertiliser storage building to the Kuala Muda Selatan Area Farmers Organisation (AFO) in Tikam Batu here on Thursday, Jan 27.

He said NCIA had built nine fertilizer storage buildings for AFOs in four states within the Northern Corridor Economic Region.

Six were in Kedah, namely Changlun, Asun, Naka, Merbok, Selama dan Kuala Muda Selatan while the rest were in Beseri (Perlis), Semanggol/Selinsing (Perak) and Bukit Merah (Penang).

"Each store is valued between RM300,000 and RM600,000. The objective is to solve the lack of temporary places to keep padi fertiliser, and simultaneously help increase fertiliser storage capacity for the convenience of farmers," he said.

The RM600,000 storage building in Kuala Muda Selatan was the first to be handed over to the AFO and would benefit about 3,000 padi farmers in the area.

"The rest of the storage buildings will be handed over to the AFOs in stages before April," Redza said.

He said that with the facility, fertiliser distribution, control and monitoring could be enhanced, and it would also ensure the padi fields were fertilised according to schedule and prevent misuse. — Bernama