The valley of ghosts

摘要

Asking Malaysian researchers what happened to their country's flagship science project, known as the Bio-Valley, is a confusing experience. Some claim it is still under development. Others say it never existed. Many are simply unwilling to talk about it. But this was always a difficult project to pin down. Launched in May 2003, the BioValley was one of the final initiatives of Malaysia's strongman prime minister, Mahathir bin Mohamad, who stepped down from power a few months later. Incorporating three new research institutes and costing some US$160 million, the BioValley was meant to attract biotech companies to a centralized hub that would offer cheap rent, good telecommunications infrastructure and access to the country's lush biodiversity — a potential source of new drugs and other useful products.