FORMER minister, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said it was an unexpected shock to read about the planned closure of Goodyear’s manufacturing plant in Shah Alam and urged the government to analyse what were the push factors.
"The government must quickly respond to such developments. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. While touting around for the billions in possible investments, businesses which are already here mustn't close shop and leave.
"We must never rely on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. We must ensure there is a serious MoU that entails details like the location of the site.
"There must be discussion on the land purchase, what the project entails, workforce and other important details," she said in a statement.
The former international trade and industry minister's statement comes in the wake of Goodyear’s announcement that it will shut down its factory in Shah Alam from June 30, affecting 550 employees.
Goodyear Asia Pacific president Nathaniel Madarang said the move was part of the “Goodyear Forward” transformation initiative aimed at streamlining the company’s operations.
Rafidah, who was also a former Wanita Umno chief, said the government must get the full facts on how many companies have shut down operations in Malaysia and where have they moved to.
"We must also know why they stopped operations in Malaysia and what are the push and pull factors at work," she said.
