INITIATIVES FOR MALAYSIA-JAPAN ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY COOPERATION

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 8 (Bernama) -- Efforts are being made based on the
understanding concluded in April this year between the prime ministers of
Malaysia and Japan in the areas of environment and energy, Japanese Ambassador
to Malaysia Masahiko Horie said Friday.

Among the initiatives under the Japan-Malaysia Cooperation for Environment and
Energy are smart community, Iskandar low carbon city cooperation, energy
conservation cooperation and cooperation in areas of treated water and sewage.

"It's time for the Malaysian authorities to make Putrajaya and Cyberjaya as
green townships in order to become smart community townships," Horie said at a
press briefing here Friday.

"Therefore, a Japanese mission will come in December and have discussions on how
to make Putrajaya and Cyberjaya the best townships," he said.

It will help Malaysia to formulate a roadmap of the measures for a low carbon
city, he added.

The ambassador said the Japanese team would be led by representatives from the
New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation and Japan Smart
Community Alliance (JSCA).

JSCA will also dispatch special mission to Asian nations on mutual
agreement, under a public-private cooperative framework to discuss the potential for
mutual cooperation.

Japan is promoting the smart community initiative, and thus the government and
the private sector will jointly facilitate its global advancement.

"This initiative proposes a next-generation socio-energy system which combines
renewable energy and unused energy, transformation of regional transport systems
and people's lifestyles through efficient use of the information technology
network," Horie said.

Malaysia and Japan are entering a new stage of cooperative relationship by
working together not only on bilateral but also regional and global challenges
for the benefit of both countries, he said.

On the Iskandar low carbon city cooperation, Horie said Universiti Teknologi
Malaysia and Japan's University of Kyoto would collaborate to conduct joint
research on ways to achieve a low carbon city.

"I hope this university-to-university project will make good research for the
improvement of Iskandar to reduce carbon emissions," he said.

Given the various problems associated with water in Malaysia such as high
no-revenue water, Horie said Japan was ready to extend its support to improve
both treated water and sewage systems in Malaysia.

The Pahang-Selangor water project was awarded to a joint venture company of
Japan's Shimizu Corporation and Nishimatsu Construction, and local companies IJM
Corp and UEM Builders Bhd.

"About 20 per cent has been completed and the project is running according to
schedule," he said.

When completed in 2014, the project will pump 1,890 million litres of raw water
daily from Sungai Semantan in Pahang to the Hulu Langat water treatment facility
in Selangor.

Raw water will be transferred through a 44.6-kilometre long by 5.2-metre
diameter tunnel, with gravity flow to the water treatment plant.
-- BERNAMA