M'SIAN DPM WANTS CENTRE TO CARRY OUT RESEARCH

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak Tuesday urged the newly-launched Centre for Straits of Melaka to carry out research on matters affecting the straits.

He said fundamentally, the centre must adopt a forward looking research
posture as the safety and well-being of the straits lay in its future, not its
past.

"A centre that serves as a repository of information on the straits should
therefore, be welcomed and it is my sincere hope that the Centre for the Straits
of Melaka would fulfil this role.

"It will serve as a centre of excellence and provide a focal point for
multi-disciplinary studies involving institutions and researchers from the
littoral states, as well as users," he said in a keynote address when
officiating the launch of the centre.

The centre was estabilished by the Maritime Institute of Malaysia's
(MIMA).

The deputy prime minister said for the Centre for Straits of Melaka to be
impactful, its research had to be current and relevant, while its
recommendations, timely and practical.

The key to the success of the centre and MIMA would be its contribution to
policy and decision-making related to issues of the straits, he added.