COME, SEE, EXPLORE AND DECIDE, SUDANESE SENIOR OFFICIAL TELLS INVESTORS

BY R. RAVICHANDRAN

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- Come, see, explore and decide. This is the
simple and straight message to potential Malaysian investors and businessmen
from a senior Sudanese official in the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Dr Mutrif Siddig Ali, an undersecretary in the Foreign Affairs Ministry,
says would-be Malaysian investors and the business fraternity should not waste
time listening to stories and rumours perpetuated by the western media.

Very often the western press portrayed a negative picture about Sudan, the
biggest country in the African continent and an oil-exporting nation.

He said the Sudanese government did not want to paint a rosy picture but
would provide the true situation, including problems faced by a developing
country like Sudan, to Malaysian investors and businessmen.

" We advise you not to take risk but to study thoroughly, start gradually
and grow bigger," he told BERNAMA.

Resource-rich Sudan is as big as the entire western Europe and slated to be
the potential food basket for the African continent.

" Ask the others who are already there (in Sudan) of their experiences. They
will share with you the problems and the success (doing business in Sudan).

" But don't depend on Western media reports. If you fall prey to their
propaganda, then you are the one going to lose," he said.

Siddig Ali said western countries knew about Sudan's huge economic resources
and want "to put their hands on it".

He said there was no country in the world that could claim to provide an
ideal place or conditions for investment and to do business.

" Not even in Europe or in the United States...see what happened to their
financial and banking system and the collapse of the system," he pointed out.

In the economic field, Siddig Ali said Sudan was keen to forge strategic
linkages with Islamic nations like Malaysia and with other Muslim countries
on a "win-win" basis.

" We don't want to put all the eggs (contracts and projects) only in China's
basket or Russia, but also share with the others like Malaysia and Indonesia,"
he said.

Malaysia is Sudan's second most important economic partner after China and
one of its major investors.

Petronas, the national oil corporation, is the largest Malaysian investor
and a key player in Sudan's oil and gas industry.

Currently more than 50 Malaysian companies are operating in Sudan, a nation
of 40 million people, vastly blessed with agriculture land, livestock and
minerals.

Siddig Ali said Sudan was lacking in technological know-how and adequate
infrastructures such as roads and highways, ports and railway, hence the
invitation to Malaysian investors to build the facilities.

Describing Khartoum-Kuala Lumpur bilateral relations as " quite solid and
good", especially in politics, but there were still many economic opportunities
yet to be explored in Sudan by the Malaysian business community.

One of the areas with big potential was real estate which he said was
" very rewarding" and Gulf countries had made a positive impact in several
parts of the country such as in the capital city of Khartoum where property
business was booming.

Given the current global economic crisis, Siddig Ali said Sudan could
provide better prospects to Malaysian investors keen to invest in that country.

" I think the potentials are high but there is this projection of negative
image of Sudan arising from the distorted and bias reports by the western media.

" I want to assure that Sudan's leadership wants to enhance bilateral ties
with Malaysia in all areas of mutual benefit.

" If there are problems or hindrances to invest or to do business, we are
prepared to remove them.

" Malaysian investors and businessmen should come and see the real
situation...seeing is believing," he added.

Over the last 10 years, Sudan has been registering a steady growth in gross
domestic product at between 10 and 13 per cent.
-- BERNAMA