JOHOR BAHARU, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tuesday stressed that he is fully committed to ensure that all plans under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), including the Southern Johor Economic Region, will be implemented successfully.

He said implementation of the 9MP had begun after a long period of planning during the early part of his term as Prime Minister.

"I have a duty to ensure the implementation is successful. If not I will face a lot of trouble," he told reporters after launching Carotino Sdn Bhd's bio-diesel plant, the first integrated bio-diesel plant in the world, in Pasir Gudang here.

The bio-diesel plant, jointly developed with Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), is capable of producing 60,000 tonnes of regular palm bio-diesel and 30,000 tonnes of winter grade bio-diesel annually.

The Prime Minister, who was on a two-day working visit to Johor which ended Tuesday, launched and visited several initiatives under the SJER, including the MSC Cyberport, Tanjung Langsat Port, Biodiesel Park and Senai Airport Terminal Cargo.

He said the government was not only planning future projects but also monitoring present ones.

"The progress on the projects is good and I am happy with it," he said.

The SJER, which was announced by Abdullah recently, will transform a 2,200 square km area in southern Johor into a metropolis and the regional hub for medicine, biodiesel, transportation and cargo.

Asked on the SJER masterplan, Abdullah said it will be announced as soon as possible.

"People have to be patient. They are always asking me what's next," said Abdullah, who is also the Finance Minister.

On his visit to Tanjung Langsat Port in Pasir Gudang, he said the government hoped the "Biofuel Park" which he opened today would attract upstream and downstream investments to make it a centre for biofuel and biodiesel industries in Asia.

He said "Biofuel Park" would also spur the development of SJER.

Earlier in his speech at the opening of the world's first integrated palm biodiesel plant, Abdullah said the government had so far approved 52 manufacturing licences for biodiesel plants with a combined capacity of over five million tonnes per year of palm oil.

"The government has controlled the issuance of biofuel manufacturing licences and will monitor the situation to avoid a glut in manufacturing capacity, as well as to ensure sufficient supply of palm oil both for food and non-food purposes," he said.

The Prime Minister returned to Putrajaya Tuesday evening.

-- BERNAMA