JAKARTA: Malaysia's Ambassador to Indonesia, Datuk Syed Md Hasrin Tengku Hussin, reiterated Malaysia's willingness and interest to participate in Indonesia's new capital project, Nusantara.
He said the project in East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo is a significant initiative by the Indonesian government, currently in its first phase, with additional phases to follow.
"Several Malaysian companies have submitted Letters of Intent (LOI) last year, which are currently being evaluated by the Nusantara Capital Authority (OIKN). We hope that there will be successful Malaysian companies," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Export Acceleration Mission organised by Matrade, here.
In line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's statement regarding Malaysia's commitment to supporting Indonesia as the chair of ASEAN this year, Malaysia also aims to enhance existing cooperation.
"We want to see more bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia. Certainly, we hope Indonesia continues to be secure, progressive, and prosperous in the future," he said.
Syed Md Hasrin believes that these efforts will be a crucial element in strengthening bilateral relations, encompassing not only government-to-government cooperation but also economic collaboration.
"Economic cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia reached a good level last year, with bilateral trade amounting to US$30 billion. Malaysia is currently in the fifth position in terms of investment in Indonesia," he said.
Apart from Nusantara, he mentioned numerous infrastructure projects in planning, as informed by representatives from OIKN and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing.
Syed Md Hasrin is confident that the business-to-business (B2B) meetings conducted by Matrade during the mission will contribute not only to projects in Nusantara but also throughout Indonesia.
"The participation of 24 experienced Malaysian companies today possess quality, recognition, and having proven their capabilities in projects domestically and internationally," he said.
A total of 43 Indonesian construction companies are involved in the B2B programme with their business counterparts in Malaysia. --BERNAMA