By letter of June 26, 2001, MTD Equity Sdn (“MTD Equity”), a Malaysian company, and MTD Chile S.A (“MTD Chile”), a Chilean company, (collectively “the Claimants”or “MTD”) filed a request for arbitration with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID” or “the Centre”) against the Republic of Chile (“the Respondent” or “Chile”). The request, invoked the ICSID Arbitration provisions of the 1992 Agreement between the Government of Malaysia and the Government of the Republic of Chile for the Promotion and Protection of Investments (“the BIT”).