THE Penang Development Corporation (PDC) has forged a strategic partnership with MyEG Lodging Sdn Bhd, a sub-subsidiary of MyEG Services Bhd, to materialise the workers’ village project in Batu Kawan Industrial Park 3 (BKIP3).
The lease agreement signing ceremony took place at Jen Hotel in George Town, attended by PDC chief executive officer Datuk Aziz Bakar, MyEG Lodging’s non-independent non-executive director Datuk Mohd Jimmy Wong Abdullah, and witnessed by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Aziz said that PDC would lease 8.39 acres of land at a value of RM20.4 million to MyEG Lodging for 30 years.
“MyEG Lodging will build, complete, manage, and operate the workers’ village and its related facilities at its own cost.
“MyEG Lodging secured the project through an open tender in April, aiming to provide safe, comfortable, and affordable living for foreign workers,” Aziz explained the agreement.
He added that the location, far from residential areas and near industrial zones, facilitates their commute to work.
Expressing gratitude, Mohd Jimmy shared that the workers’ village, upon completion, would house 8,000 foreign workers with facilities such as shops, clinics, and recreational areas.
“The project, adhering to Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Semenanjung Malaysia guidelines, is expected to be certified with GreenRE.
“This project is scheduled for completion by the third quarter of 2026, with an estimated development cost of RM108 million,” he said.
Chow highlighted the importance of the agreement.
“The collaboration marks the start of a strategic partnership benefiting both parties and addressing the demand for more foreign workers’ dormitories in the state.
“Providing proper shelter for foreign workers is crucial, and this project aligns with the need to relocate them from housing schemes, avoiding social problems, safety issues, and unregistered foreign workers,” he explained.
Chow emphasised that the project reflects the Penang government’s commitment to supporting industrial development.
Also present during the signing ceremony were Deputy Chief Minister I Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Abdul Hamid, state Trade, Entrepreneurial Development and Rural Development Committee chairman Rashidi Zinol, state Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai, state Agrotechnology, Food Security and Cooperative Development Committee chairman Fahmi Zainol and state Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri Sundarajoo Somu.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud
Video by Ahmad Adil Muhamad