KEDA prioritises Padang Terap residents for jobs as Kedah Rubber City expands employment opportunities
PADANG TERAP: The Kedah Regional Development Authority (KEDA) is intensifying efforts to ensure residents of Padang Terap are among the primary beneficiaries of employment opportunities created through the development of Kedah Rubber City (KRC), with priority to be given across operational, technical and management positions.
KEDA chairman Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the agency is working closely with relevant ministries and stakeholders to maximise local participation in the industrial hub, ensuring economic growth generated by the project translates into meaningful employment for surrounding communities.
He said creating quality jobs for local residents has always been one of the key objectives behind the establishment of KRC, particularly for youths living in KEDA settlements across Padang Terap.
According to Mahdzir, KEDA recently facilitated the participation of 109 local applicants from its settlements during a factory recruitment exercise held on July 11, giving them an opportunity to compete for positions offered by companies operating within the industrial development.
He noted that the recruitment exercise attracted thousands of job seekers from various parts of the country, but expressed hope that employers would give appropriate consideration to qualified candidates from Padang Terap before filling vacancies with applicants from outside the district.
“We hope local youths from Padang Terap will be given priority. If there are suitable candidates who meet the required qualifications, they should be considered first before the opportunities are opened to applicants from other areas,” he said during the presentation of land ownership grants and the Semarak Kasih Komuniti Desa KEDA programme at Desa KEDA Semeliang in Kuala Nerang.
Mahdzir emphasised that employment opportunities at Kedah Rubber City are not limited to production or factory-floor roles.
He said the expanding industrial ecosystem will also require skilled personnel in engineering, technical services, maintenance, supervision and management, providing wider career pathways for local residents with different educational backgrounds and professional qualifications.
According to him, KEDA is committed to helping local communities prepare for these opportunities by working alongside government agencies responsible for workforce development and industry engagement.
Mahdzir added that the vision of creating sustainable employment through Kedah Rubber City has been part of his long-term development agenda since 2017, although implementation was delayed due to changes in the national political landscape and shifts in government administration.
He said prolonged political transitions had slowed several planned initiatives, delaying the pace of industrial development and, consequently, the creation of employment opportunities that would have benefited local communities much earlier.
“Had development progressed without interruptions caused by changes in government, many of these projects would likely have been completed earlier and more local residents would already be employed today,” he said.
Despite the earlier setbacks, Mahdzir expressed confidence that Kedah Rubber City remains capable of becoming a major catalyst for economic growth in northern Peninsular Malaysia by attracting investment, expanding industrial activities and generating long-term employment for the people of Padang Terap and surrounding districts.
He said KEDA will continue to work with all relevant stakeholders to ensure local communities remain at the centre of the region’s development agenda, enabling them to benefit directly from new investments while improving household incomes and strengthening the local economy.
