Thai Govt Keen On CVIA Project

By Zainal Abdul Jalil KANGAR (Perlis, Malaysia) April 7 (Bernama) -- The Chuping Valley Industrial Area Integrated (CVIA) project under the 11th Malaysia Plan has attracted the interest of the Thai government. Perlis Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Border Affairs, Ahmad Bakri Ali, said the Thai government was keen to build a 49-kilometre electric train system (ETS) linking Padang Besar and Hatyai. He said a senior Thai official in Songkhla has informed him of the Thai Cabinet's approval of the project last week. "The rail project will be linked to Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd's ETS and would be implemented this July. It is expected to be completed within three or four years," he told Bernama here Friday. Ahmad Bakri said the Thai government's interest was probably due to the development of CVIA, which would become the main hub for China's exports especially to Asia and other parts of the world. He said the federal government has approved an initial allocation of RM873.5 million for the provision of basic infrastructure for the project which was expected to be completed late next year and the entire project in 2025. "The project is projected to contribute RM2.58 billion (US$581.6 million) to the gross domestic product and change the economic landscape of Perlis in 10 years. It was launched by ruler of Perlis (Raja of Perlis), Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail on March 27, 2017," he said. Ahmad Bakri said the 1,320-hectare project would have a 200ha Perlis Inland Port as a logistics hub and an industrial park which would have three clusters -- generation of renewable energy, green production and halal industry. He said the federal government needed to take into account the impact of the development of CVIA because it involved the markets of neighbouring countries and it would further boost trade. "The active involvement Thailand will indirectly ensure CVIA continue to grow. The flow of tourists and visitors to Padang Besar since the launch of ETS last year has touched over 50,000 per month. "Therefore, we must provide adequate facilities and logistics to cope with the economic boom and the increase in tourism," he said. Earlier, Ahmad Bakri, who was reviewing the 'One Tambun, One Product' Festival at Dataran Medan Syed Alwi here, said more products from small and medium enterprises would be marketed via the festival next year. -- BERNAMA