New Straits Times, May 24, 2010

GEORGE TOWN: Gerakan will use its influence at the federal level to lobby for Western Digital Corp to invest in Penang.

State Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan also urged Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to lobby hard for the investment and to offer the necessary assistance to attract the company to the state.

Dr Teng said the state could ill afford another "mistake" by Lim to turn down a multi-billion investment in the state under the present economic situation.

Last year, Lim came under attack after he turned down a US$3 billion (RM10.2 billion) investment because he "could not guarantee 1,000 engineers" in the state.

"Gerakan hopes the Federal Government will convince the company to invest in the state.

"After all, Penang has the best infrastructure laid down for the manufacturing industry, deemed the country's main economic engine," he said yesterday.

It was reported that Western Digital had given a US$1.2 billion (RM3.9 billion) vote of confidence in the country over the next five years.

Western Digital president and chief executive officer Datuk John F. Coyne informed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of its decision during a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya recently.

The company's decision to invest further in Malaysia was made after discussions with Najib during his working visit to Washington last month.

The investment involves the construction of a 140,000-square-metre multi-storey building for research and development and the manufacture of magnetic head, media components and hard disk drives.

There will be up to 10,000 additional jobs, including a substantial number for those with high qualifications, in line with the New Economic Model goals to create high wage jobs.