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 Monday, giving the first details of a massive project that is likely to benefit Malaysian companies. A team of Malaysian town planners who arrived 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 Najib Razak said during a one-day visit to Banda Aceh. The city is the capital of Aceh province on Sumatra island, which 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 arts 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.
