The development of Lembah Beriah, Alor Pongsu, about 100km from here, will replicate the Cyberjaya model, MK Land Holdings Bhd said.

Its founder, Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar said the 3,000-hectare mixed-use development project would be another mammoth project for MK Land after Cyberjaya, which was developed by its subsidiary, Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd.

He said Lembah Beriah is set to attract local and foreign investors, and even some foreign investors in Cyberjaya were contemplating of moving out to low-cost areas due to high cost of operations and lack of skilled labour.

"We do not want them to leave the country, so I invite them to come to Lembah Beriah as it is cheaper to operate from here.

"For this reason, too, I want to invite some universities to open their branch campus in Lembah Beriah to train workers, including from Penang to cater to the needs of these companies," he told reporters at a hari raya open house hosted by MK Land's unit, Zaman Teladan Sdn Bhd and the pre-launch of the RM42 million Azalea housing project here Sunday.

"As the opening of the Alor Pongsu interchange on the North-South Expressway will shorten travel time to the Second Penang Bridge, it will attract more people to Lembah Beriah," he added.

On Azalea, he said it is the final phase of the Meru Perdana 2 housing project built by Zaman Teladan, comprising 93 units of two-storey terrace houses measuring 2,292 square feet and priced at RM460,000.