2 theSun | TUESDAY JUNE 9 2009

news without borders

Bangkok seeks KL’s

help to resolve woes
in southern Thailand
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and
Thailand have renewed their
commitment to tackle the prob-
lems in southern Thailand, Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul
Razak said yesterday.
He said Malaysia was asked
by Thailand to extend capacity
building assistance for youths in
the area, especially through voca-
tional training and scholarships.
Thailand also sought Malaysia’s
help in extending its Islamic cur-
riculum for Islamic schools there,
Najib said at a press conference
with Thai Prime Minister Abhisit
Vejjajiva, who is on a one-day
official visit to the country.
The Thai premier said creat-
ing educational and economic
opportunities for the people of
southern Thailand could con-
tribute to peace, stability and
AFPPIX
justice in the region.
Abhisit said economic activi-
Najib and ties for the young people in the
the matter and decided that both
sides needed to look into the
technical challenges, including
preparing a proper database.
Asked on the proposed
gas pipeline project between
Songkhla in Thailand and Kota
Perdana in Kedah, to be devel-
oped by Malaysian independent
power producer SKS, Najib said
it is under the Thai government’s
consideration now.
Meanwhile, Thailand has
reaffirmed its stance of taking a
peaceful and reconciliatory ap-
proach in settling the problems
besieging the people of southern
Thailand.
Abhisit said the Thai gov-
ernment is shifting “a lot of
emphasis to development and
participation of the local people”
in resolving issues in the prov-
inces of southern Thailand.
“We thank the Malaysian
government for the close co-

PM: Global oil demand not

Abhisit area could be further explored operation and support on the
inspect through the Indonesia-Malaysia- matter, in both security and
the Thailand Growth Triangle. socio-economic aspects.
guard-of- Southern Thailand has been “We also discussed how to
honour at experiencing unrest and bomb- take this cooperation under the
the Prime ings since 2004. three E’s concept, which are
Minister’s On the issue of dual citizen- education, employment and

expected to recover soon

Office in ship involving Malaysians and entrepreneurship, forward with
Putrajaya Thais, Najib said they discussed some fresh ideas.” – Bernama
yesterday.

M’sia committed to roadmap

by Giam Say Khoon
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister
Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak pre-
dicts that the global demand for oil
is not expected to recover any time
soon to the rapid pace achieved in
previous years because the finan-
cial crisis will have lasting effect on
credit and capital flows.
Addressing delegates to the 14th
Asia Oil and Gas Conference yes-
terday, Najib said oil demand now
appears likely to grow at a more
modest rate over the next five years
compared to projections from only
nine to 12 months ago.
“However, the development of
higher cost reserves to satisfy rising
demand remains inevitable, even
though the relevant demand will
Down memory lane ...
photos taken by the students of Kirkby College after he officiated its first annual general meeting and the formation
of the Kirkby College Alumni at Intan yesterday. The alumni was formed by some of the 1,500 government-sponsored
graduate teachers who attended the teacher’s training course at Kirkby College in the United Kingdom from 1951-1962.
emerge later and perhaps more
gradually than previously assumed.
“Therefore, prices are still ex-
pected to rise as the global economy
recovers,” he said.
Najib, who is also finance min-
ister, said the current low oil price
risks obscuring the market signals
required to ensure adequate invest-
ment and research which are vital
for capacity expansion.
“There may be no consensus on
a fair price for oil, but I believe that a
reasonable oil price should achieve
the following: first, oil prices should
be low enough to facilitate economic
growth, particularly in emerging
and low-income countries.
“Second, they should be high
enough to provide sufficient returns
to producers that ensure adequate
and timely investment ... Third,
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin looks at some of the
prices should also be at a level high
enough to encourage consumers to
use oil efficiently.”
Najib said some developments
were expected to impact the oil and
gas industry over the next 20 years,
including growing world popula-
tion, shifting of economic power to
China, continuing global economic
growth, and climate change.
“In view of this growing long-
term global demand for energy, the
world must pursue a diverse energy
strategy, producing energy from all
possible sources,” he said.
The prime minister said while
it may be impossible to completely
eliminate large movements in
prices, more timely, global and ac-
curate data on demand, supply and
inventories are critical to reducing
price volatility.
BERNAMAPIX
Police
probe
sex
video
shot on
bus
pg 9
for air services liberalisation
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is
committed to the Asean roadmap
for liberalisation of air services
operated in the region by 2015,
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib
Abdul Razak said yesterday.
Speaking at the 65th annual
general meeting of the Interna-
tional Air Transport Association
(IATA) and the World Air Transport
Summit here, Najib said the coun-
try had adopted liberal air policies
to expand air service arrange-
ments between countries and the
roadmap would fully liberalise the
region’s air services by 2015.
He said Malaysia is working
closely with other Asean coun-
tries to look into the possibility
of a single aviation market like
in the European Union.
“This will probably be some
distance away in the future, but it
is an exciting possibility.” Najib said
the country had also responded to
calls for help from airlines hit by
DBP to translate Chinese,
Tamil books into BM
KUALA LUMPUR: The Educa-
tion Ministry will work with
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka
(DBP) to publish and translate
Chinese and Tamil literature
books into the national lan-
guage, and vice-versa.
Deputy Prime Minister and
Education Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin said a special
fund called Tabung Semarak
Kebangsaan has been set up
to facilitate the translation and
publications of these books.
Speaking after launching
the fund and the “National
Language and the Chinese
Community” seminar at DBP
yesterday, Muhyiddin said it
is pertinent to promote the
national language via books
and literature.
“The national language
is our identity and we have
to preserve and promote it,
regardless of our races.”
the economic downturn.
The government, he said, had
announced a 50% rebate on air-
craft landing fees, which is for a
period of two years starting from
April. This would mean a total
savings of about RM200 million
for airlines using KL International
Airport (KLIA).
“Malaysia Airports and Ma-
laysia Airlines are also working
closely with other industry play-
ers to introduce IATA’s initiatives
to simplifying business in KLIA.
“The majority of these initia-
tives are now either ‘live’ or on
trial at KLIA, with the latest being
IATA e-freight which was launched
in Malaysia in May,” Najib said,
adding the country is helping air-
lines to reduce fuel consumption
and carbon emissions through
revised air traffic control proce-
dures and the implementation of
“continuous descent approach”
for aircraft landing at KLIA.
“The national language
unites us all. Translating books
in the Chinese and Tamil
languages to the national
language and vice-versa is a
great attempt towards foster-
ing greater unity among the
various races in our country.”
Muhyiddin said the national
language is not only for the
Malays but all races, including
the Ibans and Kadazans.
He also thanked the Chinese
community for its support of
attempts to understand and
promote the national language.
“I hope more individuals,
philanthropist and corpora-
tions will come forward and
contribute towards the fund.
“It is my hope that literature,
such as the ones that instil the
national spirit and patriotism,
are more widely published
and distributed in vernacular
schools,” he said.