M'sian master plan to rebuild Banda Aceh includes seawall

Sean Yoong, The Associated Press/Banda Aceh

A Malaysian master plan to reconstruct the tsunami-battered city of Banda Aceh will focus on building 120,000 new homes and a seawall, officials said on Monday, giving the first details of a massive project that is likely to benefit Malaysian companies.

A team of Malaysian town planners who arrived on Saturday to start drawing up blueprints could complete a conceptual vision in one month and a master plan in three months, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Mohd. Najib Razak said during a one-day visit to Banda Aceh.

Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province on Sumatra island, bore the brunt of the Dec. 26 earthquake-tsunami. Most of the city was destroyed, and Malaysia has offered to rebuild it in collaboration with Indonesia.

"The final shape will depend on the wishes of the Indonesian government and people, who will determine the art and the philosophy of the construction," Najib told reporters after opening a Malaysian-run relief center. The center is expected to house more than 2,000 tsunami victims, including 600 orphans.

Najib refused to put a price tag on the reconstruction, or talk about the funding, saying it would be discussed with multilateral financial institutions.

Najib said last week that several Malaysian companies would probably take part in the reconstruction if they obtained Indonesia's approval. But on Monday, he was more reticent about the plans.

"In the second phase, we will discuss the funding and the involvement of companies and so forth," Najib said.

Malaysian companies have gained much experience with huge infrastructure projects in recent years, including the Petronas Twin Towers -- once the world's tallest buildings -- as well as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and a Formula 1 racing track.

Many of the planners in Banda Aceh helped build Malaysia's new administrative capital, Putrajaya -- a carefully landscaped complex of government offices blending modern facilities with Islamic architecture - in an area that was once mostly rubber and palm oil plantations.

Malaysia's help is expected to strengthen ties between the two countries at a time when the problem of illegal Indonesian workers in Malaysia has become a major irritant.