Sunday, September 2, 2007
MALAYSIAN High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk N Parameswaran has urged Singapore businesses which intend to invest in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in Johor to do so at once and not to wait too long to make a decision.
He said the IDR, which at 2,217 sq km is about three times the size of Singapore, was ready to receive investors.
"IDR is a plan for over 20 years. There is no point in waiting to see who goes in first or who goes in there. The best thing I want to tell my Singapore friends is that if you really want to, move now. Don't wait," he said.
"I think we are natural partners and we should use this to our advantage," he told reporters at a reception on the resort island of Sentosa here last night in conjunction with Malaysia's 50th Merdeka celebrations.
Some 600 people, comprising members of the diplomatic corps, business leaders as well as Malaysians working in the republic, attended the event.
Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang also attended the event.
Parameswaran said: "There is a natural symbiosis that we can build. We can sit down and think about it but don't think too long because, as you can see, the IDR is not dependent on Singapore."
On the concern over crimes in Johor, he said the authorities in Malaysia were doing their best to overcome the problem.
Parameswaran was also asked on outstanding issues between Malaysia and Singapore.
He said there were issues which should not be left unresolved forever.
"We can't wait forever," he said.
"About the (Johor) causeway ... it is jammed every day. Do you like the backflow of vehicles?
"Do you like all the lorries that bring all the goods every day to Singapore being held up for hours because of the jam? It's a waste of productive time," he said.Bernama
He said the IDR, which at 2,217 sq km is about three times the size of Singapore, was ready to receive investors.
"IDR is a plan for over 20 years. There is no point in waiting to see who goes in first or who goes in there. The best thing I want to tell my Singapore friends is that if you really want to, move now. Don't wait," he said.
"I think we are natural partners and we should use this to our advantage," he told reporters at a reception on the resort island of Sentosa here last night in conjunction with Malaysia's 50th Merdeka celebrations.
Some 600 people, comprising members of the diplomatic corps, business leaders as well as Malaysians working in the republic, attended the event.
Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang also attended the event.
Parameswaran said: "There is a natural symbiosis that we can build. We can sit down and think about it but don't think too long because, as you can see, the IDR is not dependent on Singapore."
On the concern over crimes in Johor, he said the authorities in Malaysia were doing their best to overcome the problem.
Parameswaran was also asked on outstanding issues between Malaysia and Singapore.
He said there were issues which should not be left unresolved forever.
"We can't wait forever," he said.
"About the (Johor) causeway ... it is jammed every day. Do you like the backflow of vehicles?
"Do you like all the lorries that bring all the goods every day to Singapore being held up for hours because of the jam? It's a waste of productive time," he said.Bernama