Penang popular with the Japanese

Penang popular with the Japanese
29/04/2006 The Star

THE Japanese are more interested in making Penang their second home compared to many other places in Malaysia, said Hideaki Hoshi, the newly appointed Consul-General of Japan.

“Penang’s good living conditions are being promoted on television in Japan and that has resulted in many of our senior citizens wanting to make Penang their second home,” he said.

Hidaeki said Penang was popular among the Japanese who felt comfortable with the environment.

He said that out of the 1,441 Japanese in Penang, between 200 and 400 of them were staying in the state under the Malaysia My Second Home programme.

“The others are here for business purposes as there are 126 Japanese companies in Penang,” he said after paying a courtesy call on Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon recently.

Hidaeki said he had met many locals who showed their appreciation for the investments brought in by the Japanese.