Malaysia proposes to build all-India expressway

The Malaysian government will submit a detailed proposal for building an 'all-India express highway' to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the next few months. A part of the total investment required for the project would be provided by Malaysian companies, S Samy Vellu, minister for works of the Malaysian government, said today.

The idea of an all-India express highway had been discussed with the Indian Prime Minister at the ASEAN Summit held at Kuala Lumpur earlier this year, pointing out the need for building world-class infrastructure in India to attract more foreign investments, Samy Vellu said after inaugurating the three-day international expo-cum-seminar on 'Surface Transportation' organised by the All India Manufacturers' Organisation (AIMO), Tamil Nadu State Board (TNSB).

However, the final plan for the all-India express highway project, including the estimate cost, will be completed shortly and is expected to be submitted to the Indian government in the next few months. 

Malaysian companies could bring in about 10 billion Malaysian ringgits with the government too sharing a portion of the project cost. The remaining fund required could be mobilised through various sources, he said. 

The expressway could be developed in phases. Malaysian government has suggested in the initial phase, an expressway connecting southern capitals - Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram - could be built. 

Earlier, he said Malaysia emerged as a key player in the construction sector globally in about 10 years. It had, so far, earned about $9.4 billion by executing projects worldwide, with one-third of its revenue coming from India.

He stressed that a large part of its success in the infrastructure sector could be attributed to India as it was the first country to show its confidence in Malaysian companies with awarding them construction projects, which helped Malaysia venture into the global market.