Malaysia - The Thai government will guarantee the safety of 500 Malaysian youth who will attend a regional Scouts gathering in Songkhla next week.
Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said parents should not worry about the event being held in southern Thailand as security would be tight as the Thai education minister would be attending the event.
"But if parents are really worried, they don‘t have to send their children. We will not force them. However, I believe it will be safe enough," Hishammuddin said yesterday after a joint Merdeka gathering for staff from his ministry and the Higher Education and the Energy, Water and Communications ministries.
The regional Scouts jamboree will begin this Sunday and ends on Thursday.
Hishammuddin added that ministry parliamentary secretary P. Komala Devi would also be present at the jamboree.
He cited Malaysian participation at the Scouts jamboree as one way to enhance relations and education co-operation between Malaysia and the restive Thai south.
On Tuesday, he and his Thai counterpart, Prof Dr Wichit Srisa-an, signed a memorandum of understanding to develop education in the southern provinces.
The memorandum covered development of the religious curriculum, and student and teacher exchange programmes. It also aims to promote interaction between Thai and Malaysian university students through sports.
Next month, Thai teachers will be here to attend courses on information and communication technology and religious education.
Hishammuddin said Abdullah had instructed the ministry and the Higher Education Ministry to focus on educa-tion development as a top agenda in Malaysia-Thai relations.
Source: www.nst.com.my (24 Agustus 2007)
