Boston Scientific Corporation, a global leader in medical device technology, today unveiled a new expansion of its operations, a new global distribution centre here in Batu Kawan.

The expansion is expected to create approximately 300 jobs in the coming years.

It is the third global distribution centre for the company and its first in Asia, primarily to ship medical devices within Malaysia and around the world.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, who was the guest of honour during the official ceremony, said the state was proud to be selected as the location for the company’s first global distribution centre in the region.

“This expansion has greatly demonstrated the dynamic and supportive ecosystem the state holds, which enables companies to deepen roots and widen portfolios in Penang and across Asia.

“With the new expansion, Penang will now become a key node in Boston Scientific’s global supply chain network, improving its global supply chain resilience and agility in responding to the dynamic business environment in Asia Pacific.

“I am pleased that the state’s growing reputation as a medical device manufacturing hub with competitive costs and established infrastructure has further solidified the company’s selection for expansion.

“This, coupled with our strong emphasis on sustainability and the availability of a future-proof talent pool, have rendered us the capacities and capabilities to support the needs of the industrial players’ next-generation technologies and growth strategies.

“Penang has been successful in the transformation journey for the past decades.

“Boston Scientific has implemented multi-pronged sustainability initiatives that not only exemplify its outstanding corporate citizenship but also serve as a yardstick for others to follow suit.

“We look forward to an increase in sustainability programmes among the industry players in Penang.

“Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Penang’s industrialisation this year, I am particularly proud to witness the inflow of strategic investments from existing investors like Boston Scientific,” Chow said in his speech during the official opening ceremony of Boston Scientific’s new global distribution centre in Batu Kawan today.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

About Mezzo @ The Light City

The first residential project at The Light City – a large-scale 32.76 acre integrated mixed-use waterfront development by  IJM Perennial Development in Gelugor, Penang. Strategically located next to The Light Collection, just a mere minutes drive from Penang Bridge and George Town.

It comprises two 34-storey residential towers, featuring 456 seaview condominium units with various built-up sizes.

(Photos taken in Oct 2022)

Find out more about Mezzo @ The Light City

Source: Buletin Mutiara

Island Hospital has officially opened its new Peel Wing, adding 14 operating theatres and 300 beds.

Besides making it the state’s first 600-bed private hospital, the 12-storey block is also equipped with the latest infrastructure for advanced and comprehensive healthcare services.

This includes personalised health screening, comprehensive care in oncological therapies, advanced minimally-invasive general and cardiothoracic surgery, robotic-assisted surgeries, AI-guided rehabilitation and renal transplantation.

There is also Nuclear Medicine imaging with the Siemens Biograph mCT PET/CT scanner, and radiotherapy and stereotactic radiosurgery using the Varian TrueBeam system with HyperArc. Also notable is the Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy centre’s DAVID Solution, an AI-guided physical and cardiac rehabilitation system.

Dentistry also debuts at the Peel Wing, joining the Dialysis, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy, Health Screening, Internal Medicine, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery and Clinical Oncology departments which have been relocated over from the hospital’s original building, now called the Macalister Wing.

CEO Mark Wee said the opening marks the metamorphosis of Island Hospital into Island Medical City, a large public-private partnership between the state government and the hospital to help realise a shared vision of making Penang the ‘Medical City of Asia’.

Future phases include a further block dubbed the Peirce Wing that will take overall capacity up to 1,000 beds, as well as a hotel catering to the medical tourism market.

“It is not widely known, but in 2019, one out of every five Indonesian healthcare travellers to Malaysia were treated at Island Hospital.

“At the state-level post-pandemic, numbers have bounced back and we now account for over half of all healthcare travellers to Penang,” Wee added in the ceremony on Friday morning (Nov 11).

In his launching address, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said such projects create a multitude of opportunities for locals, particularly in upskilling healthcare workers and support personnel, while bringing immense spill-over benefits to the economy.

“Penang commands 61% of the country’s entire medical tourism revenue. According to data provided by the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC), this amounts to RM567mil in direct healthcare spending alone.

“In 2023, it is also estimated that healthcare travellers’ spending will exceed RM2bil from upstream and downstream activities in the hospitality, services, retail and transport sectors,” Chow said.

Chow later joined Wee, former Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce executive advisor Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping and the hospital’s directors in the launching gimmick, which was then followed by a lion dance performance

Source: TheStar.com.my

Source: Facebook

Flash floods were reported in 34 areas of mainland Penang, especially in housing estates, after heavy rain since 5pm. Three general election candidates have suspended campaign activities.

Photographs posted by social media users showed streets and driveways awash in about 30cm of water, while flood water entered some houses.

Police said a temporary evacuation centre was opened at the True Light Chinese primary school in Juru Village at 9pm to accommodate flood victims.

“Currently the authorities involved are moving the flood victims involved to the PPS and the actual number of those who have been moved is yet to be known,” he said when contacted by Bernama tonight.

The areas around Seberang Perai Tengah affected by the flash floods are Alma, Bukit Mertajam, Machang Bubok, Desa Damai and Taman Impian.

State executive councillor Phee Boon Poh said at least 23 areas, especially housing estates around Bukit Mertajam, were inundated.

The affected areas include Taman Tenang Berapit, Taman Seri Janggus Machang Bubok, Desa Damai, Kampung Baru Alma, Taman Impian, Taman Sukun, Taman Mango, Taman Sentul Kampung Dock and Taman Sejahtera.

Affected areas of Seberang Perai Selatan included Valdor Farm, Pekaka Park and Jawi.

Phee said the state government and the authorities were monitoring the situation and follow-up action would be taken if the rain continued into the night. “There is concern that the floods will get worse,” he said.
The Machang Bubok weather station recorded 102mm of rain at 5.30 pm, almost double of what is considered heavy rain.

Steven Sim, the PH candidate for Bukit Mertajam, who was away helping the campaign in Johor, said he would be returning to his constituency. He said state assemblymen in Seberang Perai have been going down to the ground.

Barisan Nasional candidate Tan Yang Pang said he suspended all campaign activities from 5pm. “We have been on the ground helping the people there. The former MP is busy campaigning in Johor,” he said.

Perikatan Nasional candidate Steven Koh said he had called off his ceramah this evening and was now helping victims in Bukit Teh.

Source: FreeMalaysiaToday.com

Steel products manufacturer and trader Atta Global Group Bhd plans to acquire three sea-fronting parcels of land in Batu Maung, Penang, for RM28 million with an eye to scale up its property development segment.

In an exchange filing yesterday, Atta said the proposed purchase will be paid with the issuance of new company ordinary shares.

Its wholly owned subsidiary Park Avenue Construction Sdn Bhd has entered into three separate conditional sale and purchase agreements with Limbo Ngan Batu Maung Sdn Bhd and Utopia Span Sdn Bhd for the three land parcels totalling 260,988 sq ft (24,247.57 sq m).

The land is situated at the south-eastern portion of Penang Island, which abuts onto the sea (South Channel) in the locality of Batu Maung, providing Atta with the flexibility to undertake a mixed property development project in the future, if it decides to do so, according to the filing.

To reduce over-relying on the manufacturing segment, the company said the proposed acquisition is part of its expansion plan to increase its landbank at strategic locations with growth potential, to scale up its property development segment portfolio, enhance the segment’s weightage among its existing operating business segment, and securing an additional revenue stream for the future.

Atta is principally involved in the iron and steel industry in upstream and downstream sectors of the process of shearing, re-shearing, slitting of steel coil, slitted flat bars, steel roofing, wall cladding structural floor decking, manufacturing and marketing of perforated metal, cables support, systems and screen plate, steel furniture and the industrial recycling of scrap metal.

Its other businesses include the letting of industrial and commercial assets, provision of management consultancy, property development, construction and property investment sector.

The land under consideration is situated about 18km southwest from Komtar in Georgetown, 10km to the south-east of the town centre of Bandar Bayan Baru, 1.8km to the south of Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah bridge (Second Penang bridge) and 8km east from the Penang International Airport. The immediate neighbourhood is mainly residential in nature with pockets of hilly lands and coastal lands.

Source: The Malaysian Reserve