140,000 jobs created in Malaysia's ECER since 2008

The East Coast Economic Region (ECER) - covering Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and the district of Mersing in Johor- has attracted RM101.4 billion in private investments and created over 140,000 jobs as of December 2016, it said in a recent statement.

Over 24,000 micro, small and medium entrepreneurs were also developed through its various programmes with different outcomes, such as:

• Empower ECER - Enabling the Bottom 40 (B40) group - i.e. single parents, unemployed graduates and the disabled - to become competitive entrepreneurs or get better jobs with higher income.
• Entrepreneur ECER - Enhancing the income of over 6,000 participants to an average of between RM5,000 and RM300,000 per month.
• TERAJU@ECER - 157 Bumiputera projects benefitting with investment worth RM15.5 billion and over 17,800 job opportunities.

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The East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) told Bernama: “These entrepreneurs have helped to boost the local economy by generating over 31,000 jobs.”

ECERDC chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Jebasingam Issace John, said, in line with the government''s Economic Transformation Programme, increasing the network of local entrepreneurs was one of the key strategies of ECERDC to improve the people's living standards in the region.

"This goal is also supported by the implementation of strategic infrastructure projects and attracting private investments to generate more jobs, entrepreneurs and to provide on-going socio-economic spillovers to the people regardless of background and race,” added Issace.

He believes that the transformation of entrepreneurs has had positive impact and encourages participants to make greater success and become an inspiration to the people of ECER.

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