Singapore IR and tourism will take a blow if Malaysia Disneyland
is a success.
Sunday 30 Sep 2007 - AP - WALT Disney is holding talks with
Malyasia's investment arm Khazanah Nasional about developing a
theme park in southern Johor state facing Singapore, a business
paper reported on Sunday.
The Edge, a business weekly, said Walt Disney officials met
officials from Khazanah last week on developing a park in the
Iskandar Development Region.
'They (Walt Disney) met Khazanah managing director Azman Mokhtar
and had discussions with other top Khazanah executives,' it
said.
But it said Khazanah was also in negotiations with other theme park
players including Warner Brothers.
The Edge said Khazanah would make a decision on its choice of
partner by year's end.
The report comes amid ongoing construction work on the Universal
Studios theme park in Singapore.
Malaysia has embarked on an ambitious development plan to spread
growth and jobs in Johor state, and has been keen to attract
investment from the Middle East.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi hopes to attract 50 billion
ringgit (S$21.09 billion) to the Iskandar Development Region over
five years.
