Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 9.10.2016.
1. The Penang state government regrets the false claims by irresponsible elements, that Penang’s economy is in crisis because of factory closures and mass retrenchments. Nothing could be further from the truth. For the comparative 8-year period from 2008-16 compared to 2000-7, Penang’s manufacturing investment increased by 87% to RM54.9 billion from RM24.9 billion with job creation increased by 17 % to 128,317 job opportunities from 106,583.
2. As such, Penang still faces a shortage of workers of at least 20,000 and has one of the lowest unemployment rate in the country at 1.5%, as compared to the national unemployment rate to 3.1%. In the manufacturing sector, factory closures and new factory openings, retrenchments and job gains, are part of the industry. At the end of the day, Penang has more factory openings than closures, more job gains than retrenchments.
3. Penang’s 2015 economic growth rate of 5.5% in 2015 is higher than Malaysia’s growth rate of 5%. However the Penang’s 2015 economic growth rate is still lower than the 8% recorded by Penang in 2014 due to the imposition of GST and the corruption in the RM 53 billon 1MDB and RM4.2 billion donation scandals. The Federal government imposed GST to recoup the revenue shortfall caused by corruption scandals and the drop in oil prices. The imposition of GST has a devastating effect on the economic livelihood on Malaysians with business dropping until some businesses have not even had a profitable month this year. Even wage earners are affected when they can not make ends meet.
4. The negative impact of GST on the economy, businessmen and wage earners can be seen by the surprising 30% drop in GST collection for the 2nd quarter of 2016. For the first three months of the year, GST collection amounted to RM10.2 billion, which is on target to achieve the RM39 billion for the whole year of 2016. However for the next three months, GST collection dropped by RM3.1 billion to RM7.1 billion. The 30%b drop in GST collection highlight how bad business and consumption expenditure is.
5. Fortunately for Penang, encouraging tourism growth in both foreign and domestic tourists has helped to cushion the worst effects of the economic downturn. This is the reason why the services sector has grown to be the largest sector at 49.1% of Penang’s GDP, as compared to manufacturing’s 44.7%. Penang is presently the fourth largest economy in Malaysia with a GDP of RM76,154 million based on current prices, losing out only the Selangor KL , Sarawak and Johor.
For The Period From 2008-16 Compared To 2000-7, Penang’s Manufacturing Investment Increased By 87% To RM54.9 Billion From RM24.9 Billion With Job Creation Increased By 17 % To 128,317 From 106,583 Job Opportunities.
6. Penang continues to attract investments into the state, with a total of RM54.9 billion MIDA approved investment projects into the state from 2008-2015, an increase of 86.9% increase in investment into the state compared to RM29.4 billion approved MIDA investment projects in the corresponding period of 2000-2007.
7. Foreign investments (FDI) from 2008-2015 stood at RM36.7 billion showed an increase of 62.5% compared to RM22.6 billion FDI in 2000-2007. FDI from 2008-2015 contributes to 66.7% of the total investments into Penang. This shows the foreign investors continued confidence in Penang as a destination of choice.
8. Domestic investments approved by MIDA also showed an increase of almost three times from RM6.8 billion in 2000-2007 to RM18.3 billion in 2008-2015. These MIDA approved investments have generated huge potential employment opportunities to attract talents to work in Penang.
9. Between 2008-2015, a total of 128,317 job opportunities has been generated through domestic and potential investments as compared to 106,583 job opportunities between 2000-2007, based on statistics by MIDA. These figures are for MIDA approved investments only and do not include other industries such as construction, services and primary industries. (See Graph)
10. The strong performance of Penang’s economy has enabled Penang to record in 2015, the second highest GDP per capita (current price) in the country, losing out only to Kuala Lumpur. Penang’s GDP per capita at current prices is RM 44,847 compared to the Malaysian figure of RM 37,104.
LIM GUAN ENG
—–Mandarin Version —
槟州首席部长林冠英于2016年10月9日在乔治市发表声明：
槟城2015年经济成长率5.5%，高于马来西亚2015年成长率5%，但是比槟城2014年8%成长率低，这是因为消费税的实施、加上一马机构530亿令吉丑闻及42亿令吉捐款丑闻。
1槟城州政府对于一些人士做出不负责任的虚假指控，即槟城经济面对大幅度工厂倒闭及裁员而陷入经济危机。事实胜于雄辩。我们比较2008年-2016年以及2000年-2007年八年期间，槟城的制造业投资从249亿令吉增加87%达549亿令吉，就业机会从10万6583个增加至12万8317个，增加了17%。
2即便如此，槟城还是面对工人短缺2万人，与全国失业率3.1%相比，槟州失业率1.5%，全国最低。在制造业方面，有工厂倒闭、有新厂开张、有人裁员、有人招聘，这是制造业的循环。总体而言，槟城有更多的新工厂、新工作。
3槟城2015年经济成长率5.5%，高于马来西亚2015年成长率5%，但是比槟城2014年8%成长率低，这是因为消费税的实施、加上一马机构530亿令吉丑闻及42亿令吉捐款丑闻。联邦政府实施消费税来弥补贪污丑闻及油价下跌造成的收入短缺。但是消费税对马来西亚人民经济生活带来了极大的冲击、生意下跌甚至一些商业今年没有一个月有盈利。打工一族也受影响，入不敷出。
4消费税对经济、商家及打工一族的负面影响可以从2016年第二季度消费税的税收少了30%看出。今年首三个月，消费税税收达102亿令吉，本来全年要达致的消费税税收目标为390亿令吉。但是，接下来三个月，政府只收到71亿令吉，少了31亿令吉。消费税的税收减少了30%，由此可见商家生意额和消费开销是多么疲弱。
5槟城很幸运，国外及国内游客的增加促进了旅游业的增长，也在经济低迷时期缓冲了最糟糕的状况。这也就是为什么服务业成长至最大行业，占了槟城国内生产总值49.1%，制造业44.7%。槟城是我国第四大经济体，目前国内生产总值为761亿5400万令吉，仅排在雪兰莪、吉隆坡、砂拉越及柔佛之后。
我们比较2008年-2016年以及2000年-2007年八年期间，槟城的制造业投资额从249亿令吉增加87%达549亿令吉，就业机会从10万6583个增加至12万8317个，增加了17%。
6槟城继续吸引投资者进来投资，马来西亚工业发展局在2008年-2015年期间批准了价值549亿令吉的投资项目，比起2000-2007年期间工业发展局批准的投资项目294亿令吉增加了86.9%。
7 国外投资额在2008-2015年达367亿令吉，比2000-2007年226亿令吉增加了62.5%。2008-2015期间的国外投资额占了槟城总投资的66.7%。这也展示了外国直接投资者对槟城做为投资首选地的信心。
8工业发展局批准的国内投资额，从2000-2007期间的68亿令吉增加三倍，在2008-2015年达183亿令吉。这些由工业发展局批准的投资项目都为槟城创造了极大的就业潜能、也吸引了许多人才在槟城工业。
9 根据工业发展局的记录，在2008-2015年期间，我们通过国内外投资创造了12万8317个就业机会，相比2000-2007期间10万6583个 就业机会。这个数字只包括工业发展局批准的投资额，而不包括其它工业如建筑业、服务业及基础工业（见表）。
10 槟城强劲的经济表现也让我们在2015年破记录，目前是全国国内生产总值第二高，仅排于吉隆坡之后，在人均国内生产总值方面，槟城为4万4847令吉，全国为3万7104令吉。
林冠英