GEORGE TOWN (Oct 30): The development of Silicon Island in Penang will focus on the construction of a 283.28-hectare Green Tech Park in 2027, after 202.34 hectares of the total 513.95-hectare Phase 1 area had been reclaimed by October.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the reclaimed area is equivalent to 39.4% of the total area of Phase 1, while a 26.24-hectare site was also provided in May for the construction of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Pearl Line Depot.
"By 2027, the development of Silicon Island will focus on the construction of a 283.28-hectare Green Tech Park, planned as a hub for high-tech, green, smart and sustainable industries, in line with environmental, social and governance principles.
"The process of selling the first industrial plots is expected to begin as early as the first quarter of 2027 to attract high-value investments, particularly in the semiconductor sector, automatic test equipment, integrated circuit design and medical devices," he said while presenting the 2027 state budget at the state assembly here on Friday.
He said the first factory in Green Tech Park is expected to start operating by 2028, thereby creating high-skilled job opportunities for the people of Penang and Malaysians.
Chow said the development of Silicon Island is not just about providing new land for industry, but would also benefit the local economy through business opportunities and the involvement of contractors and local traders.
He said that as of Sept 30, 2026, a total of 4,531 contracts worth RM1.92 billion had been awarded to local contractors and traders through the project.
Silicon Island, covering an area of 930.78 hectares, is a reclamation project owned by Penang and developed by the state government to support long-term economic growth.
Meanwhile, Chow said the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) would continue to play its role as the state's main development agency in planning, developing and facilitating the implementation of strategic projects to support economic growth and the well-being of the people.
Among the high-impact projects being planned and implemented are the Penang International Logistics Aeropark, the New Seberang Perai Tengah Corridor, Batu Kawan Industrial Park 3 and the Bandar Cassia Technology Park.
In addition, he said Batu Kawan Industrial Park 2 is currently at the planning and implementation stage under PDC, with the development of Medi-City, Cassia Gardens workers' accommodation and the Bandar Cassia Reservoir Project to meet the water supply infrastructure needs of the industry.
Chow further said that the state government had also allocated RM4.5 million for 2027 to support the implementation of digitalisation programmes through Digital Penang and the coordination of the Penang Digital Economy Master Plan 2025-2030.
He said that to date, approximately 8,646 micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have benefitted from various Digital Penang capacity development programmes.
“By the third quarter of this year, a total of 330 start-ups had been recorded, generating estimated revenue of around RM118 million and creating approximately 1,720 jobs,” he said.
He said the focus in 2027 will be on the incubation of technology start-ups, the development of hardware technology products, market access, the digitalisation of SMEs, and the adoption of artificial intelligence and new technologies.
He added that Program DahDigital, MyKADUN and technology adoption among state agencies and government-related companies will also continue to be strengthened.
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