KUALA LUMPUR (XFN-ASIA) - Malaysia has held talks with Walt Disney Co representatives on Southeast Asia's first Disneyland theme park in the southern state of Johor, Bernama news agency reported, citing cabinet minister Effendi Norwawi.
He said Malaysia is also talking to other theme park operators as part of plans to develop the state which is located next to Singapore.
'We are exploring all our options, including this (Disneyland),' he told al Bernama, adding that the planned development in Johor would be wide-ranging.
'This will include theme park and other attractions,' he said, adding that talks had already been held with Disneyland representatives from Japan and the United States.
'We are also discussing with several other parties to get the best option,' he said.
Newspaper reports have said that government officials and representatives from conglomerate UEM World Bhd are negotiating with Oriental Land, the Japanese partner of Tokyo Disneyland, to build the first Disney theme park to Southeast Asia.
According to The Edge financial daily, the theme park will be sited at Bandar Nusajaya, UEM's 23,000-acre township on the southwestern tip of Johor.
It said the Disney theme park would be bigger than the two casino-based resorts being planned in Singapore.
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© 2006 AFX News