Penang ranks second in influx of new residents

GEORGE TOWN: For every 42 residents that left Penang between 2015 and 2016, 58 Malaysians from other states moved in.

This, according to the recently released Migration Survey Report 2016 by the Malaysian Department of Statistics, gives the state the highest positive migration effectiveness ratio in the country.

Penang also received the second highest number of interstate migrants, recording 12,000 new residents coming from other states in that period.

In contrast, only seven people moved into Kuala Lumpur for every 93 who left in the same period, turning neighbouring Selangor into the top interstate migrant-receiving state in Malaysia with 19,400 new residents.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who pointed out the report’s findings, was refuting a report that many people have begun residing in the northern parts of Perak while working in Penang.

“It is not correct that people working in Penang opt to stay in northern Perak.

“According to the Migration Survey Report 2016, it’s not true that people are leaving Penang because 58 out of every 100 interstate migrants involving Penang come in,” he said.

In a Metro North report on Thursday, a Perak exco member revealed a recent study showing that at least 4,800 bus commuters from Taiping, Kamunting, Selama and Changkat Jering go to Penang for work and return to Perak in the evenings.

Perak Industries, Investment and Corridor Development Committee chairman Datuk Mohammad Zahir Abdul Khalid said the study showed a trend for some people to live in northern Perak while working in Penang.

He was speaking to reporters after welcoming a 40-member delegation from the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (Hong Kong and Macau) at the State Secretariat Building in Ipoh.

The delegation was briefed on what Perak could offer in terms of investment, tourism, natural resources and development.

Mohammad Zahir also said some factories in Penang were closing and moving to Perak.

Lim rebutted with figures from the Malaysian Investment Develop-ment Authority (Mida).

“Over the last nine years, the total approved manufacturing projects for Penang was worth RM59.2bil while for Perak, it was RM22.2bil.

“We are almost three times more than Perak. So, how can you be saying factories are closing down in Penang and moving to Perak? It doesn’t make sense,” said Lim.