ICONIC MEDICARE SDN BHD - FACTORY GRAND OPENING

SPEECH BY YAB CHOW KON YEOW

THE CHIEF MINISTER OF PENANG

ICONIC MEDICARE SDN BHD - FACTORY GRAND OPENING

Iconic, Batu Kawan Industrial Park, Penang

15 January 2022

YB. Soon Lip Chee

Penang State EXCO Member for Youth and Sports

YB. Goh Choon Aik

Assemblyman for Bukit Tambun

YB. Jason H’ng Mooi Lye

Assemblyman for Jawi

YDH Supt. Tuan Lee Chong Chern

District Police Chief Officer of SPS

YBhg. Dato’ Loo Lee Lian

CEO of Invest Penang

Ybhg. Hj Baderul Amin bin Abdul Hamid

Acting City Secretary of MBSP

Ybhg. Dato' Zainurin Bin Karman

Chairman of Iconic Worldwide Berhad

Ybhg. Dato’ Tan Kean Tet

Managing Director of Iconic Worldwide Berhad

James Tan Cho Chia, Jason Chung & Katherine Tan

Executive Directors of Iconic Worldwide Berhad

Distinguished guests,

Members of the media,

Ladies and gentlemen.

Good morning.

Firstly, I would like to extend my appreciation to Iconic Worldwide Berhad for inviting me here today to officiate its new manufacturing facility for medical-grade gloves and disposable face masks.

I was here for the ground breaking ceremony on 12 December 2020, and fast forward a year later, we are here to witness this new factory which houses six glove dipping lines that have started operation. I am told that another six glove dipping lines will be ready by March this year. Congratulations on successfully achieving this milestone, despite the numerous disruptions caused by the pandemic.

I am pleased to note that Iconic Worldwide, being a Penang-based homegrown company, targets to supply 3.3 billion pieces of examination gloves and 220 million of face masks per annum.

It is also worth noting that this new factory of Iconic Worldwide is 80% automated, thereby, minimising the operational costs for long-term business sustainability.

I always believe that embracing technology and automation are key to remain competitive and operationally efficient, regardless of which industry and value chain you are in.

It is key for business players in Malaysia to future-proof themselves by embracing cutting-edge technology such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotics, among others. This is critical for industrial players to raise productivity and to be ahead of the curve.

The Penang State Government is committed to creating an environment that helps companies to integrate technology into their businesses.

Penang Digital Transformation Masterplan 2021-2023, which covers the 4 pillars of the economy, infrastructure, governance and community, will be instrumental in spearheading our technological leap forward. These digitalization initiatives are important for us to leverage technology in achieving my Penang2030 Vision and to capture the numerous opportunities arising from the Digital Economy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

With 50 years of industrial experience, Penang has built a strong base in Electrical & Electronics manufacturing, which acts as a springboard for diversification into other industries. Penang is seeing a continuous inflow of investment from medical device companies, including players in disposable and electronics-based products.

Penang has one of the highest concentrations of MedTech companies in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, with over 50 medical device companies present in the State.

This demonstrates the ability of the State’s industrial ecosystem to meet the stringent quality standards required of the MedTech supply chain. In the case of Iconic Worldwide, I was informed that Batu Kawan Industrial Park was chosen for this new factory due to the readiness of infrastructure, such as roads and gas pipelines. This has aided the company to fast-track the factory’s construction and capacity ramp-up.

Ladies & gentlemen,

Our industrialization journey for the past decades has been commendable as we have undergone a successful transformation, achieving our position today as the Silicon Valley of the East.

I would like to take this opportunity to share that Penang will be celebrating its 50th anniversary of industrialisation this year. Led by the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and InvestPenang, the State government has curated a year-long series of events for this celebration. 12 themes have been outlined, and we will showcase to the world Penang’s focus going forward.

Last but not least, I wish Iconic Worldwide and its management, led by Managing Director Dato’ Tan Kean Tet, all the best in achieving its aim to become the world’s fifth-largest glove maker.

Thank you.