By IANS
New Delhi : Malaysia is ready to invest in a superhighway project in India bearing 70 percent of the cost, Malaysia’s Minister for Works S. Samy Vellu said here Tuesday.
“I am able to affirm at this plenary session on investment and infrastructure that Malaysia is prepared to invest in the creation of a superhighway for India and we will be able to invest 70 percent of the cost,” Vellu said speaking at a plenary session on investment and infrastructure on the first day of the two-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) 2008, the annual conclave of the Indian diaspora.
“This is a private sector investment that we can mobilize from Malaysia with a strong support from the government of Malaysia. We anticipate India to invest the remaining 30 percent.”
Stating that to sustain its economic acceleration and modernization programme India urgently needed world-class infrastructure, he said, “As far as Malaysia is concerned, with our humble beginnings 50 years ago when we became an independent nation in 1957, we only experienced tremendous development after the establishment of class A infrastructure which was implemented about 25 years ago.”
The minister, a person of Indian origin and president of the Malaysian Indian Congress, said that his country has the capacity and capability in infrastructure development whereas India has trained world-class workforce.
“India needs superhighways from south to north, east to west, crisscrossing many states. This will definitely spur development resulting in the creation of new townships and housing. It will help in the transformation of the nation into a developed nation status,” Vellu said.
Making a strong pitch for a Malaysian contract, he said, “Malaysian contractors have managed to secure 372 projects valued at $17 billion in 37 countries. In India, Malaysian contractors have secured 72 projects valued at $4.7 billion.”
He also added that Malaysian contractors also have the expertise in developing new townships and comprehensive housing.
“We have established new benchmarks in this aspect of infrastructure development and I am sure that Malaysian contractors and investors are able to play a significant role in this dimension of transforming the infrastructural landscape of India,” he said.