Najib touts MyExpo City as a major boost for tourism

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysia Exposition and Convention Centre (MyExpo) City is expected to boost the country’s business tourism figures upon its completion in 2020, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
Expected to be the largest exhibition centre in the country when completed, Najib described it as yet another iconic project for not only Putrajaya, but Malaysia as well.
“MyExpo City combined with the existing Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) will be the largest Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events (MICE) venue in Southeast Asia.
“This will help make Putrajaya a city that truly caters for both business and leisure, not only for local residents, but also for the host of other nationals who are expected to live and work here,” he said during his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony of the project at Presint 5, here, yesterday.
Also present were Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Putrajaya Corporation President Datuk Seri Hasim Ismail.
Stating that the country is taking the MICE venues seriously as a rapidly growing part of the global tourism industry, Najib said the government had established the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau, or MyCEB, under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in 2009.
“According to the International Congress and Convention Association, Kuala Lumpur is ranked eighth in the Asia Pacific and 28th globally as a convention centre city.
“Last year, the Malaysian MICE industry attracted 111,298 delegates to 153 events and generated RM1.035 billion in revenue.
“By 2020, business tourism is forecast to contribute RM3.9 billion to the Gross National Income and generate 16,700 jobs,” he said.
Expressing confidence that MyExpo City was a sure bet to attract exhibitors worldwide, Najib said the upcoming project has a projected total annual revenue of RM500 million.
“As such, when MyExpo opens its doors in 2021, it will not only contribute to a rise in numbers of visitors to our country, but also create more jobs and strengthen Malaysia’s economic growth.
“Indeed, the World Bank recently revised upwards their prediction for Malaysia’s growth in 2017 – to 4.9%, a figure that would be the envy of many advanced economies.
“And growth is expected to be even higher next year,” he said.
He also called on the rakyat to not listen to the “naysayers” who keep running down the own country for their own political ends.
“The evidence is clear. We are on the right trajectory – and this is shown by the fact that Malaysia is welcomed as a trading partner around the world, by America, China, Saudi Arabia, India and many others,” Najib said.
Built on 13.53ha beside PICC, MyExpo consists of five floors, column-free exhibition halls up to 15m in height, consisting of eight exhibition halls (3,000 booths capacity) including two exhibition halls with five-tonne floor loading and one outdoor exhibition hall with five-tonne floor loading, 12 banquet halls, one plenary hall, nine meeting rooms, four seminar halls and two conference rooms, with 2,500 parking spaces.
The building which is expected to support up to 60,000 people at a single time will also include other amenities such as F&B outlets, kiosks, and prayer rooms among others.
The MyExpo City enclave’s project will also include a five-storey exhibition hall, a 23-storey building which encompasses a four-star hotel with 300 rooms, a helipad, a five-star hotel, a boutique mall, an indoor theme park and service apartments.