PROJECTS & ACTIVITIES

PROJECTS FOR 2005

PENANG INDUSTRIAL STUDY 2005
The Penang Industrial Study 2005 comprises two components, viz. a survey of the manufacturing industries and their supporting value-added services, and a study on the Gold and Jewellery Industry in Penang. The survey of the manufacturing industries monitors the changes in the status of manufacturing establishments and determine trends in the core activities, productivity levels, employment and investment trends of these firms. The study on the Gold and Jewellery industry was conducted to establishe baseline data for an industry that has been identified as having high potential for growth.

PENANG TOURISM STUDY 2005
The Penang Tourism Study 2005 consists of two survey components, namely the Monthly Estimated Visitors Survey (MEVS) and the Visitors Profile Survey (VPS) both which were carried out for the second half (July-December) of 2005. Data on visitor arrivals during the first half of 2005, which has been collected by the Penang Tourism Action Council, was analysed. The MEVS targets a wide range of hotels in Penang and aims to collect and compile primary data on total visitor arrival, the market mix and average occupancy rate of hotels. The VPS will provide the primary data on visitor and trip characteristics. This database information will enable users and policy makers to determine the characteristics of the tourism industry in Penang and will form a basis for the formulation of marketing strategies for the tourism industry.

STUDY ON THE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY IN PENANG
The software industry is a new economic niche for Penang. To facilitate the growth of this industry, the study was conducted to assess the current operating environment of the software industry; to identify the available human resource pool to meet both present and future requirements of the software industry; to determine the capacity and capability of software industries in the state relative to national, regional and international competitors in order to assess the feasibility of eventual global market penetration; to identify the problems/issues faced by software companies; to assess the potential contribution of the software industry to the Penang economy and how development of the software industry in Penang will complement the overall Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Initiative in the country; and to propose strategies, recommendations and an action plan for growing the software industry in Penang.

STUDY ON THE COMPETITIVENESS OF PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING (IPTS) IN PENANG
This study is in response to the findings of previous studies that indicate declining enrolment for the IPTS in Penang. It seeks to collate the perceptions of IPTS students’ and school leavers’ on the IPTS in Penang in comparison with those in the Klang Valley; to determine the criteria IPTS students and school leavers adopt in choosing IPTS to enroll in; to assess the extent to which Penang’s IPTS meet these criteria; to determine the factors that affect the competitiveness of Penang’s IPTS; and to formulate strategies and recommendations for improving the competitiveness of Penang’s IPTS.

LOCAL RECYCLING NETWORKS AND SOURCE SEPARATION OF THE MANAGEMENT OF SOLID WASTE (MSW) IN PENANG ISLAND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL (MPPP)
This is part of the Study on National Waste Minimization in Malaysia, undertaken by JICA in collaboration with the Ministry of Housing and Local Government. The project includes the establishment of local recycling networks and the implementation of source separation of municipal solid waste in Penang Island Municipality Council. The scope of work also encompasses the conducting of a waste flow survey; establishment of a data collection, management and reporting system; conducting stakeholders workshops and 3R activities; upgrading the capacity of Local Authority officials to manage/monitor recycling activities; and to increasing the collection amount of recyclable materials at source.

CONSUMER SENSITIZATION AND SURVEY ON SOURCE SEPARATION OF HOUSEHOLD WASTE
This “Joint Action Research” was conducted under the auspices of the Southeast Asian Urban Environmental Management (SEA-UEM) programme administered by the Asian Institute of Technology and funded by CIDA. The project involved a survey to gather public feedback on household waste disposal practices and the readiness of Penang society to undertake household source separation of waste. It also included focus group discussions with hotel operators and hawkers on how they can contribute to waste diversion by practising source separation.

COMMUNITY COMPOSTING IN TAMAN DUKU, SEBERANG PERAI
This project, involving a housing estate of about 300 households, is aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of community composting as a means of reducing the disposal of organic waste at the landfills, with the community obtaining soil conditions in return. Collaboration with researchers working on vermicomposting can help improve the quality of the compost. This project is also conducted under the auspices of the SEA-UEM programme.

Samsung DigitAll READ (Road to Equity & Advancement) for Disadvantaged Youths on business
Students from lower income families are often left behind in this hi-tech age simply due to lack of access to essential new e-learning tools, including information access through the internet. In high-density housing areas, these disadvantaged youths frequently do not even have a conducive environment to pursue their learning. On Penang island, there are existing Student Welfare Councils (SWCs), which serve to cater to this need by providing limited library resources and reading spaces as well as being nodes for student activities. This project enhances the services of the SWCs by setting up electronic library systems and providing Internet connections for them. IT training is provided to the student volunteers to enable them to manage the SWCs better and also train other users in IT competency. This project provides more equitable educational opportunities to the youths and reduce the educational disadvantages they suffer as a result of the digital divide.

GREENING OF UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA AND THE HOTEL BELT IN BATU FERRINGHI
Continuation from 2004

ECO-YOUTH PROGRAMME ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION
Continuation from 2004

STUDY ON POVERTY IN SQUATTER AREAS OF PENA
Continuation from 2004



MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR 2005

PENANG LECTURE
The Penang Lecture for 2005 on the topic “Building on Penang’s Strengths: Going Forward” was delivered by Tun Dato’ Seri Dr Lim Chong Eu, the former Chief Minister of Penang who was the architect of the modern economy of Penang, transforming it from a trading centre to an industrial power house.

SMI FORUM: GROW BIG WITH ICT
This forum was organised to inform SMIs of the potential of ICT in upgrading and expanding their businesses. In addition to presentations by industry experts on how ICT had facilitated the growth of their businesses, participants were also introduced to ICT products suitable to their use through booths set up by service providers.

PANEL DISCUSSION ON IMPLICATIONS OF BUDGET 2006 FOR PENANG
A panel of experts comprising economists, a market researcher, and a tax consultant examined the provisions of the national budget for 2005 to draw out its salient implications for the Penang economy.

PENANG FORUM 2005
This two-day forum brought together high level government officials, captains of industry and businesses, NGOs and other stakeholders to discuss economic and environmental issues that are of great consequence to Penang, under the theme “A Review of the Second Penang Strategic Development Plan (PSDP2). The topics included: macro-economic development, industrial development roadmap, directions for SMI development, human resource development, planning, provision of open and recreational space, public transport and solid waste management.

SEMINAR & TRAINING WORKSHOP ON GREEN PRODUCTIVITY FOR IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY & ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF BEACH HOTELS
This was an awareness-raising seminar as well as a short training course to introduce and promote the Green Productivity (GP) approach and methodology to USM and the hotels and that are participating in the project on “Solid Waste Management and the Greening of Universiti Sains Malaysia and the Hotel Belt in Batu Ferringhi” It comprise two sessions targeting at two levels of participants. The first session highlighted to the top management of the hotels the merits and success stories of GP implementation around the world. The subsequent session focused on technical aspects of GP to target the technical and executive personnel from the hotels who are prospective members of the GP teams.

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PROJECTS FOR 2004

GREENING OF UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA AND THE HOTEL BELT IN BATU FERRINGHI
This is a demonstration project to explore environmentally sound options for treating organic waste, with a view towards resource recovery and eco-circulation. It is part of on-going efforts to minimise waste generation and disposal in the state. The project is supported by the Asian Productivity Organisation based in Japan.

ECO-YOUTH PROGRAMME ON ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND EDUCATION
Through a series of conservation camps, youths was exposed to environmental issues and trained on skills for dealing with them. This programme is funded by the Toyota Environmental Activities Grant Programme.

STUDY ON POVERTY IN SQUATTER AREAS OF PENANG
As part of the programme to alleviate urban poverty, SERI has been commissioned by the State Development Office to conduct a survey in squatter areas in Penang to collect baseline data and compile a profile of poor households in these areas.

PENANG QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX 2004
The monitoring of the quality of life indicators and the development of the state and districts indices were conducted for 2004.

FORMULATION OF PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR INTEGRATED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN TIMOR LESTE
SERI was commissioned by UNDP Timor Leste to formulate a project proposal for the improvement and integration of solid waste management in the capital of Timor Leste, Dili.

BASELINE STUDY ON SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
SERI participated in this study initiated by the Ministry of National Unity and Social Development and JICA to assess the social and physical facilities available for people with disabilities in selected cities in Malaysia.

STUDY ON PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING (IPTS) IN PENANG
This study is aimed at updating data on the private institutions of higher learning in Penang, with regards to enrolment, course offerings, staffing and facilities, in order to facilitate better planning to improve the competitiveness of such institutions and education services in the state.

IMPACT STUDY ON “GROW” (GROWING REHABITATION OPPORTUNITIES VIA WEB) PROJECT
Continuation of project from 2003

E-WASTE STUDY
Continuation of project from 2003

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MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR 2004

PENANG LECTURE
The Penang Lecture for 2004 on the topic “Governance: in Search of Public Trust” was delivered by Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, the president of Transparency International Malaysia. Tunku Aziz has had a long and distinguished career in both private and public service and in the past decade has devoted himself to issues of transparency, anti-corruption and good governance.

INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON GREEN PRODUCTIVITY TO ENHANCE COMPETITIVENESS AND SUSTAINABILITY
This forum was organised in collaboration with the Asian Productivity Organisation, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, the National Productivity Corporation and Universiti Sains Malaysia to familiarise SMEs with the concepts and application of green productivity in order to enhance their competitiveness.

BUSINESS SESSION ON “SMI: FACE TO FACE FUNDING SOLUTIONS”
This programme includes a series of seminars on funding opportunities by various banks and government agencies and interactive sessions where SMIs can consult with relevant agencies and banks on their funding applications and needs.

PANEL DISCUSSION ON IMPLICATIONS OF BUDGET 2005 FOR PENANG
A panel of experts comprising economists, a market researcher, and a tax consultant examined the provisions of the national budget for 2005 to draw out its salient implications for the Penang economy.

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PROJECTS FOR 2003:

TRAINING OF SMEs FOR AFTA READINESS
As the full implementation of AFTA comes into effect, many small and medium-scaled enterprises in Penang are still not fully aware of its possible impact on their products and businesses. This programme is aimed at raising the awareness of the SMEs as well as to provide information and training on how to avoid the pitfalls at the same time to fully harness the potential opportunities of AFTA.

CREATING A SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CULTURE IN SCHOOLS
This is now implemented as a regular annual programme.

PILOT INTERVENTION PROGRAMMES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
Based on the study completed in 2003, a pilot intervention programme for some of the students identified to have learning difficulties will be implemented. The focus will be on providing learning support and mentoring; speech and language development; and small group activities clubs for building confidence and self-esteem.

IMPACT STUDY ON “GROW” (GROWING REHABITATION OPPORTUNITIES VIA WEB) PROJECT
SERI has been commissioned to conduct an impact study of the GROW project administered by the Malaysian Council for Rehabilitation to demonstrate the use of IT and multimedia to improve the quality of life of the disabled through the capacity building processes to enable the disabled to lead a more meaningful and satisfying life within the community.

E-WASTE STUDY
This is a study commissioned by the Municipal Council of Penang Island to determine the flow of e-waste from the commercial, industrial and community sectors; to conduct a census of the vendors and recycling agents for e-waste; identify problems associated with disposal of the e-waste and propose guidelines for the safe management of e-waste.

STUDY ON TRADE, INVESTMENT AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN CHINA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA: THE CASE OF MALAYSIA
This study is commissioned by the Institute of Development Economics, JETRO, Japan to examine and analyse economic relations in the form of trade, investment and economic cooperation between China and Malaysia.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN COMMUNITY WASTE RECYCLING
Continuation of project from 2003


MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR 2003

BRIEFING FOR INDUSTRIES ON ELX PORTAL
This briefing was organised in cooperation with the Penang Labour Department to familiarise human resource personnel from the industries on the use of the Electronic Labour Exchange (ELX) Portal of the Ministry of Human Resources.

ROUNDTABLE-BUSINESS SESSIONS ON IMPACT OF AFTA ON LOCAL INDUSTRIES
Two such sessions were organised, one on the island and the other in Seberang Perai, where local industries were briefed on the implications of AFTA. Dialogue sessions were also held in which local industrial players could seek clarifications from relevant agencies on specific issues.

COURSE ON PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE THE DELIVERY OF URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
This three-day course was aimed at exploring public-private partnership options for more effective delivery of environment-related services, especially by local governments. The course was attended by representatives from the private sector, government departments, NGOs and academic institutions.

SEMINAR ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN PENANG
This seminar was held to explore the solid waste management options for Penang and to seek stakeholder feedback on them.

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PROJECTS FOR 2002:

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN COMMUNITY WASTE RECYCLING
This project is aimed at consolidating collaboration between the Municipal Council of Penang Island, the private sector and various communities in the state to undertake waste recycling at the local community level. It is supported by the Public-Private Partnerships for the Urban Environment programme of the UNDP.

PENANG QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX 2002
The monitoring of the quality of life indicators and the development of the state and districts indices are continued.

CREATING A SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CULTURE IN SCHOOLS
This programme is extended to other schools to further nurture an interest in science and technology in the student population.

STUDY ON LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
The objective of this study is to collect base-line data on the extent of learning difficulties among the primary school population in order to aid in formulating programmes and strategies for special education in the state.

STUDY ON UNEMPLOYMENT IN PENANG
This is part of a nation-wide study commissioned by the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) to determine the profile of the retrenched workers and unemployed graduates as well as determine the effectiveness of training and re-training programmes implemented by the Government.

RAPID ASSESSMENT SURVEY ON THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA AND ITS IMPACT ON DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE IN MALAYSIA
This is part of a project sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to identify how advances in information technology and the impact of the new media are changing the ways in which Malaysian society is receiving and digesting information. It also assesses the implications of these changes for improving democratic governance and participatory decision-making in Malaysia.

DEVELOPING A PORTAL FOR NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS IN PENANG
This portal aims to disseminate information on the non-government and community organisations in Penang to facilitate more effective rendering of their services as well as better communication and collaboration between the organisations.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PENANG LIBRARY NETWORK
This is an on-line network of the libraries of tertiary education institutions in Penang that will facilitate the sharing of resources and allow students to access the holdings of all the libraries.


MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR 2002

PENANG LECTURE
The inaugural lecture in this series was delivered by Tan Sri Razali Ismail on Sustainable Development in Penang. Tan Sri Razali is the UN Special Rapporteur on Burma and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Yayasan Salam Malaysia. He was formerly Malaysia’s Permanent Representative to the UN and served as the Chairman of the Commission on Sustainable Development in 1993.

SEMINAR ON ASIAN COMPETITIVENESS
This seminar assessed the relative competitiveness of Asian economies, including China, Korea, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore. It sought to position Malaysia within this context in order to identify effective strategies for enhancing the competitiveness of Malaysia in general and Penang in particular. Proceedings of the seminar has been published.

PENANG ECONOMIC OUTLOOK LUNCHEON TALK
The talks were delivered by En. Md Saad Hashim, Deputy Head of NEAC Secretariat on “Trends and Policy Issues in Malaysia: The Need for Major Economic Restructuring” and Dato’ P.Y. Lai, Advisor, Motorola Inc. on “Identifying and Developing Key Niches for Penang”

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PROJECTS FOR 2001:

PENANG STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN
SERI, leading a team of consultants, completed the formulation of the strategic plan which charts the direction of development for the Penang from 2001-2010. It encompasses five strategic thrusts, viz, economic competitiveness, ecological balance, caring and sharing, cultural vibrancy and good governance and envisions the development the State of Penang based on the principles of sustainability, social justice and good governance.

QUALITY OF LIFE INDEX FOR PENANG
Penang compiled its quality of life index for the first time in 2001, at both the state and district levels. The index, formulated by SERI combines the national indicators identified by the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department and the indicators developed through the Sustainable Penang Initiative.

STUDY ON IT LITERACY OF SCHOOL TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS
This study assessed the level of IT competence among school teachers and administrators to gauge the extent to which the school system is equipped to take on the task of preparing students for the Knowledge-Economy.

CREATING A SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CULTURE IN SCHOOLS
This is the expansion of a pilot project conducted in 1998 to inculcate an interest in science and technology among students in secondary schools. The programme involves a series of activities including field trips and talks. It is anticipated that a manual will be developed for the use of school teachers.

WATER CONSERVATION AWARENESS PROGRAMME
This programme is directed at raising awareness regarding water conservation issues and is particularly pertinent to a water stressed state like Penang. The activities include training camps for students and capacity building for teachers. This programme is jointly executed with Water Watch Penang and is funded by Ford Motors.

DATABANK ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
SERI is assisting the State Government to develop a databank on occupational health and safety that can be used by all the relevant departments. At present there is no central depository of information on occupational health and safety and different departments use different criteria for their records.



MAJOR ACTIVITIES FOR 2001


FORUM ON THE PENANG BOTANIC GARDENS
This forum was organised in conjunction with the Penang Botanic Gardens Management Committee to seek feedback on plans for expansion and development of the gardens.

SEMINAR ON INDUSTRIAL INNOVATIONS IN EAST ASIA
This seminar brought together the findings of regional studies on industrial innovations in Penang, Singapore, Thailand and South Korea. The level of innovations in these countries will be benchmarked against each other and that of eight regions in Europe.

SEMINAR ON ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR PENANG
This seminar served to present some of the findings of the Penang Strategic Development Plan to the public and forecast the economic outlook for the State for the short to medium term.

WORKSHOP ON HOME CARE FOR THE ELDERLY
This workshop included a talk on prevention of falls among the elderly and demonstration of techniques on home care.

TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE ON “PENANG – SILICON OR SAND”
This conference was jointly organised by SERI, the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) and the Commerce International Merchant Bank (CIMB) to present the prospects of the electronics industry in Penang to fund managers in the region.