SANKYU Group is set to invest RM100 million for the construction of the Sankyu Technical Academy, its first human resources training centre outside of Japan in the Medini Central Business District (CBD), Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

Sankyu South-East Asia Holdings Pte Ltd MD Junichi Matsumura said the centre will be built on a 1.67ha land and is expected to begin operating next year.

“Malaysia continues to be a strategic hub in the region for Sankyu, and this is evident in our continuous investments and developments of critical infrastructure in the country,” he said in a statement in conjunction with the centre’s groundbreaking ceremony in Johor Baru yesterday.

The groundbreaking ceremony was remotely officiated by Iskandar Puteri Mayor Datuk Salehuddin Hassan, jointly witnessed by Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MIMSB) chairman Datuk Ir Khairil Anwar Ahmad, Matsu- mura and MIMSB head Mohamad Zamani Razali.

The event was held via a video conferencing platform in light of the recent Movement Control Order, where only the essential construction and operations staff were on-site.

Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) CEO Datuk Azman Mahmud said Sankyu’s training centre in Malaysia would be the company’s first in South-East Asia.

He added that Malaysia continues to be the strategic choice of multinationals in the region, given the nation’s dynamic transition into high-end services to support and flourish its diversified economy.

“Mida is optimistic that this training centre will bring positive economic benefits in terms of job creation, transfer of technology and know-how through training. This will ultimately create new opportunities for local businesses and vendors.

“Mida will continue to push for strategic collaborations between foreign and local companies for mutually beneficial outcomes, ensuring a sustainable ecosystem for business entities in the country, not only in the present but also for the future,” he said.

Mohamad Zamani said the groundbreaking ceremony marked an important milestone for Medini as it continues to attract many prominent and reputable tenants.

“Sankyu is the first of many developments Medini has been working on under the Iskandar NEXT Initiative which focuses on the new economy, experience and talent.

“In addition to the recent relocation of Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Sdn Bhd and Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Air Negara, we are optimistic of the future vision for Medini CBD to be a strategic hub for Johor and Malaysia,” he added. — Bernama