Nearly 12,000 Job Opportunities Expected for Kerian as Perak Breaks Ground on a New Industrial City

Perak broke ground on Kerian Industrial City in Parit Buntar on Oct 22, and the 287-acre development with a gross development value of around RM700 million is expected to create nearly 12,000 job opportunities. That figure is a projection for the whole industrial city, not vacancies at one company, and the build will run in four phases and take 10 years to complete. The park is meant to absorb factory expansion from Batu Kawan in Penang, where some investors face site constraints, and Perak Menteri Besar Saarani Mohamad hopes the jobs will go to local people (translated). For Metaintro readers in northern Perak, Penang and Kedah, this guide covers what will be built, which industries the park targets, what Malaysian workers earned by sector and skill level in the 2025 wage survey, and how to get ready before the first tenant starts hiring.

What Exactly Was Announced in Parit Buntar?

The news came at the groundbreaking ceremony for the project in the Dennistown Region, Mukim Parit Buntar, where Saarani spoke to reporters. The development covers 287 acres with a gross development value of around RM700 million.

The state's figure is a projection of nearly 12,000 job opportunities, not a count of openings, and some headlines round it to a flat 12,000.

The goal goes beyond factory payrolls. The development also aims to create opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), vendors, and supporting industries through the growth of industrial activity in the district. Also at the ceremony were state executive councillor for tourism, industry, investment and corridor development Loh Sze Yee and the chief executive of the Perak State Development Corporation, Redza Rafiq Abdul Razak.

What Will Be Built on the Site, and Who Is Building It?

The developer is Bumi Johan Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Asiabina Group, working on land owned by the Perak State Development Corporation. Asiabina Group managing director Yong Chai Seng also attended the groundbreaking.

The development includes factories, workers' quarters, homes and a commercial component.

• 36 semi-detached factory units and 47 industrial land lots
• Centralised workers' quarters with capacity for 3,000 workers
• 553 residential units plus a commercial component

Asiabina already has a footprint in the district. The group was founded in 1988 by group managing director Yong Chai Seng, and its Taman Kerian Putra township spans 144.73 acres, as described in a branded feature on the group. Asiabina is also embarking on a new co-development of semi-detached factories and industrial land extending towards KIGIP, according to the same branded feature.

Which Industries and Roles Is the Park Aiming For?

The target sectors are chips and electronics. The project will focus on targeted industrial sectors such as semiconductors and electrical and electronics (E&E), and it also leaves room for supporting work such as testing services, calibration, and the engineering sector to serve high-tech manufacturers.

The skills named so far are practical ones. Saarani hoped Perak residents, especially people from Kerian and Selama, would fill the jobs created, including in engineering, welding and a range of technical skills (translated from Malay). No list of job titles, headcount for each tenant or qualification level has been released in the Bernama story or the Utusan Malaysia story.

Training is part of the plan. Redza Rafiq said the project also needs collaboration among industry players, educational institutions, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) providers so that the local workforce has the skills industry requires.

The development not only attracts investment but also provides quality job opportunities for locals, increases income, and stimulates the economic activities of the local community, Perak State Development Corporation chief executive Redza Rafiq Abdul Razak said, according to the Bernama story.

Why Is Penang's Batu Kawan Part of This Story?

Kerian Industrial City is meant to take in the expansion of investors in Batu Kawan, Penang, who face site constraints (translated). Some investors in Batu Kawan want to expand their factory operations but face space limits, which has drawn interest in moving to Perak (translated).

Kerian's location near the new Batu Kawan industrial centre in Penang and the Kulim Hi-Tech Park in Kedah gives the park an advantage in tapping supply chains and manufacturing in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia, Saarani said. The state's stance is that Perak should view Penang and Kedah as strategic partners, not competitors, in order to avoid unhealthy competition and enable the three states to complement one another. Saarani also said the two Kerian parks will complement each other in forming a more robust industrial ecosystem and make the district more attractive to investors.

Many residents of Bagan Serai and Parit Buntar have worked in Penang because there were no jobs in the area (translated), in Saarani's account, and the state's hope is for the new openings to go to local people, especially Kerian residents. No tenant has been named, so it is not yet known which employers will hire.

For one Penang example, see a Chinese chip materials maker's Penang hiring plan.

What Is the Timeline, and When Could Hiring Start?

The build-out is long. The project involves four phases and will take 10 years to complete. No date for the first factory has been given in the Bernama story.

No breakdown by phase has been given for the state's job projection, so there is no way yet to tell how many openings come in the first phase. The state has also asked the corporation and the developer to give priority to efficient project delivery so that the benefits reach residents.

No employer has been named for the site in the Bernama story or the Sinar Harian article.

How Does Kerian Industrial City Differ From KIGIP?

Two industrial projects are taking shape in Kerian, and they are easy to confuse. The new one is Kerian Industrial City, built by Asiabina's unit on state corporation land. The other is the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park, known as KIGIP, which the National Investment Council agreed on 16 April 2024 would be implemented by SD Guthrie Berhad and PNB (translated). Planning for the new city started earlier than KIGIP (translated), and the two are meant to complement each other.

A ground survey for its Phase 1 covering 1,000 acres was completed in May 2024 (translated), and its groundbreaking was held on Friday (Aug 30) in 2024, when Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for priority to be given to the people of Kerian. In March 2025 the state hoped KIGIP would be completed by the end of 2028, and Saarani gave 2029 as the year it will open to investors. The same month he acknowledged challenges at the site, particularly the need to reclaim swampy land, and said the developer would also collaborate with Gamuda Berhad, which has expertise in land reclamation. The project runs through collaboration and synergy between the federal government, the state government as well as SD Guthrie and Permodalan Nasional Bhd, and in October 2024 the investment minister said it was closely monitored by the Special Task Force led by MITI (investment wing) and Perak's Economic Planning Unit.

KIGIP has the potential to attract data centres, E&E, logistics and knowledge-based industries (translated), in the words of the investment minister's launch speech.

This strategic location will ensure an adequate supply of skilled graduates to fill skilled and high-value positions in KIGIP, prioritising and providing opportunities for skilled local workers to further develop, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said in June 2024, according to the MIDA news page.

What Did Factory and Skilled Jobs Pay in Malaysia in 2025?

No pay has been published for any Kerian Industrial City role, so the national wage survey is a reference point. The national statistics department's 2025 salaries and wages survey, released in September 2026, put the mean monthly salaries & wages for citizens at RM3,803 and the median monthly salaries & wages at RM2,940.

By sector, Manufacturing posted a mean of RM3,357 in the same survey. Construction came in at RM3,188, Services at RM3,993 and Mining and Quarrying, the highest-paying sector, at RM6,175. Skilled employees recorded the highest mean monthly salaries & wages at RM5,799, while semi-skilled workers averaged RM2,714 in that release. The low-skilled category edged up by 2.6 per cent to RM2,184, and skilled employees made up 36.6 per cent of the total wage recipients.

Penang is one of five states above the national mean, at RM3,912 in the 2025 survey.

The legal floor sets the bottom. The minimum monthly wage became RM1,700, up from RM1,500, on Feb 1, 2025 for employers with five or more workers and professional sector employers, with smaller businesses following on August 1, and in the human resources ministry's view the minimum wage should not be treated as a benchmark for entry-level salaries, particularly for graduates and skilled workers. For the next change, see the scheduled rise in Malaysia's wage floor.

The government has a wage target too. In March 2024, Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong called for higher wages, especially in the semiconductor industry, in line with the National Industrial Master Plan 2030 where the average wage can reach RM4,510. That is a policy target, not a pay promise from any Kerian tenant.

What Has to Happen Before the Factories Can Run?

Power is one requirement. Saarani said both Kerian parks need adequate infrastructure, especially a stable electricity supply to meet the needs of industrial growth, including a new main intake substation. Saarani welcomed talks between SD Guthrie, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), and InvestPerak on that substation and on the alignment of the access road involving the KIGIP area.

Water is another. Saarani said the water needs of both industrial areas have been factored into the planned transfer of water from Sungai Perak to Bukit Merah (translated). That matters for this kind of park, since factories in the electrical and electronic (E&E) sector need water resources, a point Saarani made in March 2025. At the 2024 KIGIP master plan launch, Saarani said the park brings the construction of a new Water Treatment Plant (LRA) for Kerian residents, who have long suffered from water scarcity issues.

KIGIP obtained planning permission in less than three months from the launch date, a process that in the investment minister's October 2024 words normally takes more than six months. Saarani said the work on the substation and access road must take technical requirements and the related approvals into account.

What This Means for Kerian Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

The park is expected to create nearly 12,000 job opportunities across a build that will take 10 years to complete, and no tenant, job title or pay has been named. What the state has made clear is the direction, toward semiconductors and electrical and electronics (E&E) and the supporting trades around them, and the wish that Kerian residents fill the jobs (translated).

• Build the named skills now. Saarani named engineering, welding and a range of technical skills (translated), and the park also targets testing services, calibration, and the engineering sector. A TVET course in one of those areas is a practical step you can take now.
• Watch local training options. KIGIP, the other Kerian park, sits near TVET institutions and the Pusat Latihan Giat MARA.
• Use Penang experience as a bridge. The park is meant to take in expansion from Batu Kawan investors who have shown interest in moving to Perak (translated).
• Know the pay range before you negotiate. Skilled workers averaged RM5,799 a month in the 2025 wage survey, and the human resources ministry says the minimum wage should not be treated as a benchmark for entry-level salaries for graduates and skilled workers.
• Look beyond the factory floor. The project also aims to create opportunities for SMEs, vendors, and supporting industries, and its plans include 553 residential units plus a commercial component.

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People Also Asked

Q: How many jobs will Kerian Industrial City create?

A: The project is expected to create nearly 12,000 job opportunities across the whole industrial city, which is a projection, not openings at a single employer.

Q: When will Kerian Industrial City be completed?

A: The project involves four phases and will take 10 years to complete, and no date for the first factory opening or first hiring round has been published.

Q: What industries will Kerian Industrial City focus on?

A: The focus is semiconductors and electrical and electronics (E&E), with space for supporting industries such as testing services, calibration and engineering.

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