Leiking: Foreign investors eye Borneo
SINGAPORE: Several countries have expressed interest in investing in Malaysia, particularly in Borneo, said International Trade and Industry Minister Darell Leiking.
He said the interest might be translated into new or additional investments for existing operations.
“They are keen to invest, particularly in the Borneo border linking Indonesia and Brunei,” he said here yesterday.
Leiking was leading the Malaysian delegation to the island republic for five days to attend the 50th Asean Economic Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings, which ended yesterday.
He agreed that the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-MalaysiaPhilippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) countries use the platform to attract investments and create jobs in Borneo, especially in Sabah and Sarawak.
The matter was raised during Leiking’s meeting with Indonesian Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita in Jakarta recently.
For Asean, Leiking said by having a “single unifying brand”, such as the Asean vehicle, it could encourage the group to move forward.
“We might start with the vehicle first, followed by the region’s automotive industry,” he said, adding that “we could have cheaper components, services and maintenance”.
During his visit to Jakarta in June, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mentioned the possibility of reviving the proposed Malaysia-Indonesia car project for Asean.
The idea cropped up when Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Proton’s Centre of Excellence during a state visit to Malaysia in 2015.