The Asia Pacific Trade and Expo City (APTEC) project in Iskandar led by Malaysian Pacific Corp Bhd (MPCorp) is expected to see an investment of RM3 billion over a period of five years.
The project, aimed at promoting Malaysia as Asia’s “economic corridor” will require participation from various countries in the 10- member Asean region, India, South Korea and many others.
“We are in talks with various countries for partnerships and they liked the idea. Recently, I met the Indian Minister of Commerce and he was interested in the project,” MPCorp chairman and CEO Datuk Bill Ch’ng told The Malaysian Reserve last Friday on the sidelines of the 5th World Chinese Economic Forum in Kuala Lumpur.
The project, when completed, will provide about three million sq ft of space where consumer product manufacturers from various countries can showcase their products.
The aim is to turn the Malaysian states bordering Johor into a consumer products trade hub for the region, he pointed out.
“The funding for the project is to be done from internally generated funds and borrowings.
Some of it will also come from other stakeholders,” Ch’ng said.
MPCorp inked a memorandum of understanding with China’s state-owned corporation Black Sea Horizon Investment Holdings Ltd last Friday.
Black Sea is involved in consumer trade, property development, hospitality, oil refineries and oil trade. MPCorp, as a property development company, will be the anchor partners for the project, said Ch’ng.
The two companies will coordinate and secure the relevant approvals from the respective regulatory bodies in China and Malaysia.
“APTEC will serve as a onestop centre for the new ‘Silk Route’ of trade, sourcing, procurement and distribution showcase window for China manufactured consumer products as well as products made in Asean, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India and the Middle East,” said Ch’ng.
About one million sq ft of land will be used by the Chinese company and the rest of the two million sq ft will be left for other countries, he said.
MPCorp has a landbank of 638 acres in Iskandar Malaysia and is building its prospects on the “already paid for” land that it owns in Malaysia’s fast growing investment destination in Johor.
Apart from the APTEC, it is also involved in the RM2 billion LakeHill Resort City.
“Last few years have not been good for the company. When you put in all the investment in such a big project you do not have cashflow. But this is going to end soon,” said Ch’ng.
–source–