“GREETINGS 32-0 Terengganu … this is what happens when there is a government without an opposition – everyone just indulges in self-praising … and there’re no checks and balances within the administration.”
Such is the political rebuttal by seeming Madani backers as CJ BIO, the specialised green biotechnology division and global brand of South Korean multinational food, biotechnology and lifestyle outfit CJ CheilJedang Corp will officially be shutting down its plant at the Kerteh Polymer Park come Oct 15.
This follows a Facebook post by Greater Terengganu Development (GTD) of the plight of the 500-strong workforce – majority of whom are Terengganu folks – who face uncertain future after being laid off.
Apparently, construction of the CJ BIO plant began in 2012 while operations commenced in 2014 with an initial investment stood at RM2.23 bil.
The plant has consistently made new investments over the years which brings the total estimated investment to nearly RM3 bil.
“Economically, the plant’s closure will reduce the manufacturing sector’s output value – specifically regarding Terengganu’s GDP contribution – by approximately RM300 mil to RM500 mil,” projected the poster.
The Federal government through ECERDC (East Coast Economic Region Development Council) and MIDA is actively seeking a new investor to take over the plant and prevent this high-value facility from falling into disuse.”
GTD hopes the state government will also actively seek new investors given that the state stands to lose tens of millions of ringgit in assessment tax revenue and service charges collected by state-linked companies (GLCs) at the port.
PAS whacking tool
Editor’s Note: CJ CheilJedang Corp is downsizing and restructuring its operations, a process that began in earnest in 2021 but accelerated significantly in July 2026 following a major corporate overhaul.
In fact, the parent of CJ BIO is facing intense competition from China, particularly within its Green Bio business unit which handles animal nutrition and feed additives.
Although in all frankness, CJ Bio’s eventual closure has little to do with Terengganu’s political climate but due to inevitable global factors, detractors have seized the moment to take a pot shot at the PAS-ruled state as if the Islamist party was the cause of the multinational company’s exit.
“The rakyat are losing their jobs with billions in investments are at risk. Yet political appointees remain comfortably ensconced in their cushy positions?” jibed a presumably pro-Madani keyboard warrior.
“When seeking office, they claim it’s for the sake of the rakyat. But when the rakyat are in distress, they all keep silent. If one can’t shoulder the responsibility of the trust placed in them, one should know when it’s time to step down. Have some shame for the Terengganu folks.”
Added another detractor: “I thought by virtue of PAS taking over (the state) meant a ‘Developed Terengganu’ but it turns out that even a factory with potential – worth (hundreds of) millions – is being shut down. PAS is really something, folks.”
Others mocked that as a solution, the Terengganu state government led by its potential PM11 (Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar) can “ferry busloads of the retrenched employees to seek employment in KL”.
This is when Threader Rational Malaysian (@rationalmalaysian) brushed aside political noises by enlightening that “money has no emotions”:
When the spreadsheet says ‘cut loss’, the tears on the factory floor can’t afford to pay the electricity bill.
The state government is not just watching people lose their jobs but will bite its fingers and lose tens of millions of ringgit in revenue from the state-owned port services which are run by GLCs (government-linked companies).
The sentiment and prayers on social media are indeed futile for they won’t be able to pay the housing instalments for 500 affected families.
View on Threads
Below is what the socio-political commentator deemed as “practical reality” if both the Federal and state governments wish to address the workers’ fate:
- The federal and state governments must urgently match the affected workers’ technical skills with nearby petrochemical clusters – by not letting them to be unemployed for months.
- Provide a ‘distressed-asset incentive’ package immediately through MIDA (Malaysian Investment Development Authority) to convince the new biopolymer/chemical industry conglomerates to take over the plant on a ‘turnkey’ basis.
“The families of these 500 workers have the right to receive protection and new job opportunities soonest instead of being used as political sympathy capital” asserted Rational Malaysian.
“When RM3 bil in investment can be wrapped up without looking back, what’s the real guarantee of our industry leadership to ensure that the East Coast is not just a temporary foreign capital stop-over?” – Oct 5, 2026
