group in asia is estimated to be increasing at 7 % per year, second only to those in the middle east, numbering 300, 000 and growing at 9 % per year. traditionally, investors in asia and the middle east have looked to the developed western markets to meet their investment needs, in view of the more developed financial markets and the range of asset classes. increasingly however, there is growing interest and search for improved returns on investment in other parts of the world. this has been a global phenomenon for some years now, characterised by excess liquidity and low yields in the traditional markets. the new silk road creates linkages that build on the comparative advantages between asia and the middle east ladies and gentlemen, historically, trade and investment in asia and the middle east has been linked to the developed economies. however, it is now increasingly recognised that there are significant complementarities between our two dynamic regions. these complementarities provide a platform for two - way flows that enhances income and wealth creation. the different demand patterns of each respective region reinforces the significance of the complementarities. the middle east investors have a greater need for diversification, both in terms of geographical allocation and asset classes, beyond the traditional investments in the us and europe. asia in turn, the home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world, offers highly diverse investment opportunities, ranging from in vietnam to japan, and in a broad scope of industries, ranging from natural resource producers to established high - tech brands. such investment opportunities continue to support the growth momentum in the region. at the same time, middle east domestic infrastructure requirements are estimated to total usd500 billion for the next five years, and asian companies have demonstrated the capacity to provide the technology, expertise and human capital to meet these infrastructure demands. asia's relentless march towards development offers new opportunities for the middle east. asia's continued need for productive capital and uninterrupted energy supply to sustain its high growth matches the middle east's resource endowments. it is estimated that asia needs usd 1 trillion worth of infrastructure investment over the next five years, and is in search of new partnerships and strategic investors to co - invest in these undertakings. in focussing on the respective comparative advantages and connecting via the new silk road, it contributes to expanding the opportunities in both the regions. essentially, this extends the production possibility frontiers to create new areas of growth. the participation of a wider pool of investors also enables better risk sharing and consequently, increases

zeti akhtar aziz : bank negara malaysia link speech by dr zeti akhtar aziz, governor of the central bank of malaysia, at the launch of bank negara malaysia link, kuala lumpur, 25 february 2005. * * * yang amat berhormat dato'seri abdullah ahmad badawi, perdana menteri malaysia dan menteri kewangan malaysia, tetamu - tetamu kehormat, tuan - tuan dan puan - puan, the central bank engaging with the public is what bank negara malaysia link is about. it is my great pleasure and honour to welcome you to the official launch of the bank negara malaysia laman informasi nasihat dan khidmat or the bank negara malaysia link. the bank negara malaysia link aims to enhance the effectiveness of bank negara malaysia's interface with the public. bank negara malaysia link is established as a centralised point of contact with the public on issues that relate to our operations, our policies, the financial sector and consumer education in the area of finance. we believe this continuous engagement with the public will not only enhance awareness, understanding and appreciation of the issues at hand but also contribute to facilitating the efficient functioning of the financial system and ensure the effectiveness of policy. bank negara malaysia link will also centralise all interface with the smes on issues that relate to matters on access to financing and thereby contribute towards enhancing their value added to the economy. tuan - tuan dan puan - puan, kami amat berbesar hati dengan kesudian yang amat berhormat dato'seri abdullah ahmad badawi untuk melancarkan laman informasi nasihat dan khidmat bank negara malaysia atau bank negara malaysia link pada hari ini. kami mengambil kesempatan dari kehadiran yang amat berhormat dato'seri di taklimat ekonomi di bank negara malaysia pada pagi ini untuk merasmikan bank negara malaysia link. penubuhan bank negara malaysia link merupakan komitmen bank negara malaysia untuk meningkatkan lagi perkhidmatan yang diberikan kepada orang ramai dan membantu meningkatkan akses pemb