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IPOH: The education sector can become a catalyst for the growth of the domestic tourism and business sectors, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
He said when there is an increase in students at a particular location, there would be an increased demand for various services and products.
“The presence of students and their parents or elders, who would naturally drop by to visit them from time to time, would create a demand for various sectors,” he added.
Citing the retail business as an example, Abdullah said they must provide a variety of products to cater to the students such as food, stationery and entertainment.
“Hence, the local business community should be ready to adjust to the new environment.
“I believe this area (Kampar) too will experience aggressive development and become a centre for business,” he said when opening the third Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) branch campus in Kampar yesterday.
Abdullah also praised the establishment of the college since it had produced some 100,000 graduates to date, thus making the country less dependent on foreign workers.
Earlier, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali said the state would concentrate on turning Perak into a prime centre of education in the country.
He said the move was reflected in the setting up of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Tanjung Malim, Universiti Institut Teknologi Mara and Universiti Petronas in Seri Iskandar and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, apart from the new TARC branch campus.