CHENNAI TO BE KUALA LUMPUR`S TWIN CITY

KUALA LUMPUR, March 13 (Bernama) -- The Federal Territories and Urban
Wellbeing Ministry is working to make Tamil Nadu's capital, Chennai, as Kuala
Lumpur's twin city.

Its minister, Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, said representatives
from the ministry would visit Chennai in May for the purpose.

The Malaysian government has held several discussions and is awaiting
response from Chennai for the next course of action, he told reporters after
opening a food and entertainment carnival at the Temple Of Fine Arts here
Saturday.

Raja Nong Chik said the Kuala Lumpur and Chennai twin city programmes was
hoped to further enhance bilateral relations between Malaysia and India in art,
culture, tourism and economy.

He said Chennai and Kuala Lumpur had many similarities being that majority
of the Indians in Malaysia were from Tamil Nadu.


"In line with efforts to realise the twin city programme, the ministry is
also planning to develop Brickfields into 'Little India'," he added.

The carnival, which also include cultural activities, is organised by the
Temple of Fine Arts to raise funds for the Derma Sivasanta Clinic in
Brickfields.

The clinic, set up by non-governmental organisations in 1982, provides free
medical service to local residents as well as foreigners.

--BERNAMA