CHINESE COMPANIES MAY BE ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN DOUBLE-TRACKING RAIL PROJECT

From Yong Soo Heong

BEIJING, June 4 (Bernama) -- Chinese companies may be asked to participate
in the completion of the double-tracking rail system in the southern tip of
Peninsula Malaysia, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

In a question and answer session at the one-day Malaysia-China Business
Forum here Thursday, he said he had touched on the issue of Chinese companies
taking part in infrastructural projects in Malaysia during his discussions with
Chinese premier Wen Jiabao Wednesday.

He said a Chinese company would be involved in the construction of the
second Penang Bridge while another would take the majority share in a joint
venture related to the expansion of the Mengkuang Dam in Penang.

Najib also said that Chinese companies would be considered for the energy
sector in Sarawak related to the Bakun Dam and they would also be invited for
the expansion of Malaysia's information communication technology sector.

Earlier, China's Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said in his welcoming remarks that
the way forward for China and Malaysia in the current economic downturn was to
strengthen their economic cooperation.

There are a lot of areas that the business communities of both countries
could collaborate for a better future, he said.

Hui said he took note of Malaysia's Vision 2020 and that China too had a
similar time frame to further uplift its development for the benefit of its
people.

Later Najib witnessed an exchange of documents of 16 memoranda of
understanding between Malaysian and Chinese companies and organisations.

They include INS Bioscience Bhd, which exchanged documents with two parties,
the first with Tonghua Dongbao Pharmaceutical Co Ltd to manufacture halal
insulin, and the second with a partner in Dalian to manufacture bio-fertilisers.

Jia Yu Home Entertainment Sdn Bhd, which is a collaboration with MDec,
signed an agreement with the Nanning and Chengsa TV stations to undertake joint
production of the 2010 Chinese New Year "live" broadcast.

CIMB Bank Bhd exchanged documents with Yingkou Co Ltd to complete a 19.99
per cent acquisition of Bank of Yingkou while SP Setia Bhd will team up with
Hangzhou Ju Shen Construction Engineering Ltd to develop a piece of land
measuring about 12 hectares in Xiao Shan in Zhejiang province.

Another MoU involving property development is related to Dutaland Bhd's
joint venture with the BODA Group to develop a 1.3 ha piece of land in
Shijiazhuang, a provincial capital within the Beijing-Tianjin area.

Dibena Enterprise Sdn Bhd signed two MoUs, one with Becom Software Co Ltd to
undertake a joint venture in smart student cards in Malaysia, and with Beijing
Risbo Networking Technology Co Ltd to collaborate in wired and wireless networks
in Malaysia and China.

China's Huawei Technologies signed two MoUs, one with Technology Park
Malaysia in human capital development for the telecommunication industry, and
another with Universiti Teknikal MARA for the same purpose.

Other MoUs include Lion Blast Furnace Sdn Bhd with EXIM Bank China to
finance a blast furnace project; Danga Bay Sdn Bhd with Beijing School of
Foreign Languages to develop an educational institution in Iskandar Malaysia;
Sunzen Biotech Bhd with Regalplus (Beijing) Investment Consultant Co Ltd to
supply animal feed additives made from biotechnology; Acacia Cellulose
International Sdn Bhd with China National Machinery & Equipment Import & Export
Corporation to construct a pulp and paper mill; Bell Corporation Sdn Bhd and
Oriental Children Care Green Product Development Co Ltd on marketing personal
care products; and Dewan Perniagaan Melayu Malaysia with the China Council for
the Promotion of International Trade to jointly promote trade and human resource
training.

-- BERNAMA