MERSING: Two projects in Mersing under the Entrepreneurship and Development Programme of the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) have the potential to enhance local residents’ socio-economic status, said Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

The projects – a boat building and repair centre and a sewing centre at Kampung Pengkalan Batu as well as the grilled fish food court along Sungai Endau – could create more jobs for locals, he said.

“The Empower ECER programme would directly benefit the people in line with the aims of the Government Transformation Programme and Economic Transformation Programme to make Malaysia a high-income nation.

“Some 22,000 people in the ECER region have benefited from the Empower programme, and some participants are reportedly earning between RM5,000 and RM20,000 a month,” he said.

Mohamed Khaled said this when launching the district’s Empower ECER human capital development programme here attended by ECERDC chief executive officer Datuk Jebasingam Issace John.

He said some 800 participants were involved in the Mersing Empower scheme’s skills and entrepreneurship programmes.

The Empower scheme already operates successfully in 10 other locations.

Meanwhile, Jebasingam said the ECERDC was also implementing several tourism projects in the district, including an ecotourism study on Endau-Rompin National Park and infrastructure development in the offshore islands.

The tourism projects would create job and business opportunities for the local people, he said.

— Bernama