HISHAMMUDDIN PROMISES TO DO HIS BEST

From Leslean Arshad
PARIS, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, who has been mandated with an extra "two minutes" by Unesco's executive board members from Thailand and the Philippines to voice out the Asean region's issues and concerns, has pledged to live up to their expectations when delivering his speech on Wednesday.

"They gave me more time to speak up. I will not take it lightly. I will
make
sure the trust is fulfilled the best way I can," he said here on Monday.

Hishammuddin, who is here to attend the Unesco executive board meeting,
which began on Monday, now has 10 minutes of speaking time.

Traditioesnally, the 58 board members are given eight minutes each to
deliver their speech at the meeting.

"It's rather unique and special to me as the representatives from Thailand
and the Philippines have given me part of their speaking time to represent them
in the spirit of Asean," he said.

Hishammudin, who is also president of the Southeast Asian Ministers of
Education Organisation (Seameo), said such an arrangement would allow Asean to
show to the world that it was united.

"Whatever they labelled us, and we have been criticised...at the end of the
day, we know what we want for the future of the region and God willing, we will
achieve it," he said.

-- BERNAMA