Koleksi Arkib Ucapan Ketua Eksekutif

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,

Salam Sejahtera dan Salam Satu Malaysia.

His Excellency Dr Makio Miyagawa;

Ambassador of Japan to Malaysia,

Yang Berhormat Datuk Seri Johari bin Abdul Ghani;

Minister of Finance II,

Yang Berbahagia Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Shafei Abdullah;

Chairman of UDA Holdings Bhd and Chairman of BBCC Development Sdn Bhd,

Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin;

Chairman of Eco World Development Group Berhad,

Yang Berbahagia Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan;

Chief Executive Officer of the Employees Provident Fund,

Mr Akihiko Funaoka;

Executive Managing Officer of Mitsui Fudosan Co. Limited,

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

First of all let me thank BBCC Development Sdn Bhd and MFBBCC Retail Mall Sdn Bhd for inviting me to officiate at this ground-breaking ceremony. This will mark the start of works for Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) and one of its key components, the Mitsui Shopping Park Lalaport Kuala Lumpur.

The BBCC project is a significant national level development as it is a successful example of the kind of public-private collaboration we are keen to encourage. It brings together a Government Linked Company – Urban Development Authority (UDA), which is the landowner; EPF - our national retirement fund; and the EcoWorld Group, a prominent Malaysian developer.

BBCC is also an example of the key projects, which support the government’s focus under the Economic Transformation Programme for Greater KL and the Klang Valley.

Some of you may know that we are gathered here today at a historical site. This is where Pudu Prison, an old colonial-era jail, used to stand. Within a few years – by 2020, in fact – this is going to be transformed into a world class integrated development.

With the scarcity of land in any developed capital city like Kuala Lumpur, it is essential that redevelopment of city centre brownfield sites is done carefully and very well. So I am pleased that the BBCC consortium has a spectacular masterplan to regenerate this historical location.

Ladies and gentlemen,

From early on, this Government has taken very seriously the challenges of our public transport system, which had been neglected by one of my predecessors, and I have directed my administration to pay particular attention to the rail services.

Besides expediting the completion of the LRT extension, this Government has rapidly undertaken the construction of the MRT system. By the time BBCC opens its doors an integrated network of KTM, LRT and MRT, as well as the city centre Monorail, will be efficiently transporting commuters around the city, Greater KL, Klang Valley and beyond.

I note that the BBCC will contain its own purpose built Transit Hub to connect to the nearby LRT, MRT and Monorail stations, and I compliment them for doing their part to enhance our public transportation.

I am certain this iconic development will draw people from near and far, and with our investor friends from Japan working in partnership with the Malaysian joint developers, I am confident that BBCC will succeed in further uplifting the image of Kuala Lumpur as an international modern metropolis.

This is important, because although we already attract millions of visitors, we have set our sights even higher. We aim to have 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion tourist receipts by the year 2020, since the tourism sector is a key pillar of the economy, generating huge benefits and significant job creation.

The BBCC project, with its fully integrated retail, leisure and entertainment attractions, including the Mitsui Mall, the unique Malaysia Grand Bazaar initiated by UDA, and the Zepp KL Concert Hall by Sony Music Japan, will contribute significantly towards our efforts to become an even more essential tourist destination.

It also dovetails with one of the key Entry Point Projects, or EPPs, of our focus on tourism - which is designating Bukit Bintang-Kuala Lumpur City Centre Area as a Vibrant Shopping Precinct, and I am sure the developers of BBCC and Mitsui Mall will actively participate in this EPP initiative.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As many of you are aware, the Economic Transformation Programme was formulated to create economic opportunities worth RM1.3 trillion and to lift Malaysia to high income status by 2020. This should create 3.3 million additional jobs and attract USD444 billion worth of investments.

As it is, we have created 2.26 million new jobs over the last six years, kept inflation and unemployment low, and maintained healthy growth even at a time of uncertainty for the global economy.

Indeed, the World Bank has just revised upwards their prediction for Malaysia’s growth in 2017 – to 4.9 percent, a figure that would be the envy of the advanced economies. And growth is expected to be even higher next year.

But we are looking far further forward as well. We have launched the Transformasi National 2050, or TN50, to plan for the future, and in due course we will lay out a blueprint for how we can set about making Malaysia one of the top 20 countries in the world in economic development, citizen well-being and innovation by the middle of this century.

In the meantime, I am happy to note that the BBCC project together with the impressive Mitsui Mall is yet another model of how our Economic Transformation Programme is bearing fruit in terms of attracting foreign investments, as we help Malaysian companies to grow and expand at the same time.

In this respect, I am pleased that BBCC has managed to attract the participation of global players like Mitsui Fudosan Co. Limited, the leading real estate group from Japan, to invest in what will be BBCC’s RM1.6 billion retail mall.

With our Japanese friends present, I should note that this year marks the 60^th anniversary of diplomatic relationships between Malaysia and Japan. The strong trade and investment relations between our two countries are underpinned by the Malaysia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.

Last year, Japan was ranked Malaysia’s fourth largest trading partner, with bilateral trade amounting to RM120 billion. We believe there is huge potential for our bilateral economic relations to continue to grow as we tap opportunities together.

Malaysia, with its diversified, robust and open economy is the perfect gateway to ASEAN for Japanese firms, and I am sure my colleagues in the Government will work closely with His Excellency Dr Makio Miyagawa to facilitate the entry of more Japanese investors and tourists to Malaysia.

In terms of BBCC, I understand that Japanese are already among the top foreign buyers for the residential units – which comes as little surprise as Malaysia remains the top retirement destination for the Japanese, thanks to our stable economic and political environment, temperate climate and affordable living standards.

Companies such as Mitsui Fudosan are, in any case, no strangers to Malaysia, having developed the first Mitsui Outlet Park near KLIA in partnership with Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad. I had the pleasure of officiating its opening in May 2015, and I am glad to know that the Phase 2 expansion is underway and slated to open by early next year.

This continuous investment is great testament to their confidence in Malaysia’s long term prospects. Other global corporations from all over the world will be able to see that Malaysia continues to be an attractive investment destination.

So we continue to welcome investors from around the world, to work with Malaysian businesses for the benefit of our friends from abroad and for our people at home.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I recall that it was not too long ago that UDA, EcoWorld and EPF presented their proposal to me to jointly redevelop BBCC. I thought that they had an impressive masterplan and my only request to them was a simple one – to do it well and do it fast!

And today we are here breaking ground!. This is what we want for Malaysia – dynamism from both the public and private sectors – planning well and executing efficiently the various transformation programmes initiated by the government. May I say ‘Syabas’ or ‘Well Done’ to BBCC and their partners for achieving this impressive milestone.

On that note, I would like to congratulate the BBCC consortium and Mitsui Fudosan on commencing works on both BBCC and the Mitsui Mall, and I wish all of you great success in completing the development.

Thank You.

Wabillahitaufik Walhidayah Wasalammualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.