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9th September, 2010
PENAMPANG: The future of this district is set to be catapulted into an important destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conference and Exhibition) and technology related business activities when the International Technology & Convention Centre (ITCC) Penampang is completed in the next three years.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Edward Khoo Keok Hai, speaking at the soft launching of the project yesterday said, the ITCC-Penampang is a private initiative project, motivated by the launching of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) which is line with Sabah Government’s Halatuju initiative.
ITCC-Penampang is set to act as a catalyst to spur creative macro and micro economy in Penampang as a technology hub, which could perhaps provide the stepping stone in setting up an MSC concept in Sabah that can be linked to MSC in Peninsular Malaysia, as part of the e-government push, he said.
“This project is timely as it will be implemented under the 10th Malaysia Plan which is in line with Vision 2020. The people of Penampang deserve to have this international class business activities and facilities,” said Khoo.
“I will help to promote this project as I am extremely happy that Penampang is going to have a five star hotel in future and this project is also in the Kapayan constituency,” he said.
“I think in the past we had been losing out in the tourism industry, so with this project we hope more tourist will come to Penampang as this district of rich Kadazan culture and all the races are living harmoniously as well in this area,” he said.
This project will also create job opportunities for the Penampang youngsters after they graduate from high school and tertiary education as they can work and stay back in Penampang instead of seeking jobs in Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran and Peninsular Malaysia, said Khoo.
Sabanilam Enterprise Sdn Bhd, director Datuk Clarence Malakun said the project to be built on a more than 10 acres site will start work as soon as they get all the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities.
“The project will start as soon as possible and I expect sometime early next year we will be able to start work,” he said after witnessing the soft launching of the project by Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Khoo Keok Hai yesterday.
Once completed, ITCC will be equipped with a 300-room hotel block, 16-storey office tower and a modern commercial shopping mall.
The centre will feature a large 30,000 sq ft convention hall, a separate exhibition hall of over 60,000 sq ft, a huge banquet hall (maximum 170 dinner tables), hotspot Wi-Fi internet connection, 8-minutes drive from Kota Kinabalu International Airport, state-of-the art giant LCD advertising screens, spacious food court, supermarket and ample parking space.
“ITCC offers an alternative venue for the MICE market and the tourism sector in Penampang will be boosted as now Kota Kinabalu is congested with the flow of traffic,” said Malakun.
ITCC developer company spokesman Alexander Hugo Malakun hoped ITCC Penampang will be Sabah’s very own little electric town similar to Low Yat Plaza in Kuala Lumpur, Digital Mall in Petaling Jaya and Akihabara City in Tokyo, Japan.
“Our aim is to provide the best environment for retailers to trade and customers to shop, especially on technology based trade and new electronic merchandise,” he said.
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