LNG PROJECT ATTRACTS INVESTOR INTEREST IN PERAK

SINGAPORE, July 13 (Bernama) -- International companies have shown keen

interests to invest in Perak following the approval of the plan to set up the

liquefied natural gas project (LNG) project in Manjung district.

State Industry, Investment, Entrepreneur Development, Tourism and Women

Affairs Committee chairman, Datuk Hamidah Osman, said companies from India had

also shown interest to invest in Perak based on the above factor.

"A foreign aluminium company, which had earlier identifed a location in

Peninsular Malaysia to set up its RM2 billion plant, has voiced its intention to

move to Perak to be close to the source of LNG supply," she told reporters here

today.

Hamidah is leading a delegation comprising representatives from Atigas

Technology Sdn Bhd, Malaysian Investment Development Authority, state Economic

Planning Unit, InvestPerak, Manjung municipal council and land office to visit

Samsung C&T Corp head office for Asia-Pacific here today.

She said the LNG project would be developed by Atigas in Tanjung Hantu, and

once it was operational, it would be able to meet the needs of the various local

and overseas industries.

Hamidah said Atigas not only planned to set up 300 LNG kioks, it also wanted

to reduce the costs of the gas to fisherman, house users, traders and transport

operators.

"The plant will be the first in the country and it will have direct impact

on the country''s economy and finances of the federal government," she said.

Hamidah said considering that Malaysia did not have many LNG terminals, the

visit aimed to learn and benefit from the experience of Samsung C&T, which was

involved in the building of the LNG terminal here.

Samsung C&T briefed the delegation on the S$1.5 billion project in Singapore

which was expected to be ready in 2013.

Meanwhile, Atigas managing director, Tang Hock Leng, said the company

hoped that Samsung C&T would help in the project.

"The first phase of the LNG terminal will take 18 months to complete. It

will have a jetty, infrastructure to supply the gas, terminal and a storage

tank," she said.

The whole project would cost RM5.8 million and would create 3,000 jobs, he

said. -- BERNAMA

ZAZ THS