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Rail link to spice talks

2010/04/09

By Hamidah Atan in Hanoi

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the other Asean leaders at the 16th Asean Summit here are hoping for the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL) to be completed in the next five years.

The project, proposed in 1995, has been hindered by a lack of funds and other technical issues in connecting the rail to major towns across the region.

Najib said the rail link was vital for regional connectivity to achieve the Asean Community by 2015.

He said Asean connectivity was also significant to ensure that the movement of people, goods and services within the region could go on smoothly without obstacles.

"The leaders today discussed, among others, matters revolving Asean connectivity, which also includes ICT, air services and roads. One of our specific projects is to make the railway link between Singapore and Kunming a reality.

"Our double-tracking project, however, has not been completed," he told Malaysian journalists covering the four-day summit at the Hanoi National Convention Centre.

The SKRL is a flagship project of the Asean-Mekong Basin Development Cooperation (AMBDC).

This regional railway line, spanning 5,000km from Singapore to the Chinese city of Kunming, would serve as a very efficient and economical mode of cross-border cargo transportation within the region.

The project also includes constructing railway stations and related infrastructure and has been estimated to cost US$15 billion (RM48 billion).

Najib also said Kuala Lumpur hoped that Asean leaders would remain committed to translate all agreements and decisions reached during the summit meeting towards a multilateral Asean.

"There are still lots more that need to be done, including having an effective communication strategy, so that people out there will know what Asean Community is all about."

He also said the three pillars in building the Asean Community -- economic, political and socio-cultural -- must be given the utmost attention so that appropriate action could be taken by all member countries effectively. These included resolutions made in the Asean Free Trade Agreement.

On his bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister, Nguyen Tan Dzung, Najib said the latter expressed his satisfaction with the value of investment by Malaysians in the country.

"Our investment values makes us the third largest to have invested in Vietnam."

Najib said several major and iconic projects by Malaysian investors had been approved by the Vietnamese Government, including the development of a city centre on a 450ha area by Gamuda Berhad.



Najib said Nguyen wanted a commission to discuss cooperation with Malaysia in all aspects, including politics and manpower, to be formed.