Japan's SDP Global Investing US$100 Mln In Malaysia

From Christine Lim Tokyo, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Japanese manufacturer of superabsorbent polymers, SDP Global Co Ltd will establish a production base in Malaysia with an expected investment of about US$100 million (US$1=RM4.22). SDP Global President, Hiroyuki Shimominami, said construction on the production base in Malaysia's southern state of Johor was expected to start in May 2016 and the facility was slated to begin operation in the second quarter of 2018. "The production base in Malaysia will follow the ones in Japan and China to meet the expected further expansion in global demand for superabsorbent polymers," he said. He said this during a media briefing Thursday after the exchange of sale and purchase (S&P) agreement between Johor Corporation and SDP Global (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd for the purchase of land at the Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex, Johor. The S&P agreement is for the purchase of 6.8 hectares of land in the Tanjung Langsat Industrial Complex by SDP Global (Malaysia), a new company set up for SDP Global Co Ltd's production base in Malaysia. "The base will have an initial production capacity of 80,000 tonnes per year, and will boost the group’s total annual capacity to 440,000 tonnes from 360,000 tonnes," he said. "We have decided to invest in Malaysia especially Johor as it is the best location with international ports, high quality human resources and competitive logistics and costs as well as cooperative state ministries," he said. The exchange of the S&P agreement was witnessed by Minister of International Trade and Industry, Mustapa Mohamed who followed the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA)'s trade and investment mission to Osaka and Tokyo from Nov 25-26. MIDA is organising a trade and investment mission to Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo from Nov 23-27 involving Malaysian delegates from the private and government sectors. Mustapa said the decision by SDP Global to invest in Iskandar Malaysia's flagship zone was based on the government's support in building infrastructure for the region. "We are confident Iskandar Malaysia will continue to attract more investments from Japan and other countries," Mustapa said during the media briefing. -- BERNAMA