Special Economic Zones in the OIC Region:
Learning from Experience
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5.2.7 Summary Lessons Learnt
 Development of a strong political vision is key to supporting the development of the SEZ
programme and attracting investment. It is observed that a strong vision can lead to
more effective promotional efforts, in this case through the creation of the PDC which
obtained a degree of autonomy from the Federal government allowing it to create
bespoke incentive packages.
 Investment in skills and training development allowed the PDC to firstly attract a
number of anchor tenants in the inception of the SEZ programme but also to retain these
tenants as the nature of their operations shifted from basic assembly to higher valued
added activities. This is encapsulated by the creation of a bespoke skills and training
centre in collaboration with the private sector and the strong representation of
Malaysians within managerial and technical positions within existing MNCs today.