Malaysia Gears Up To Host 26th Asean Summit - Najib

Chandravathani Sathasivam KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is all geared up to host the 26th Asean Summit, which promises a great meaning for Malaysia when the country assumes the Asean chairmanship next year, said Prime Minister Najib Razak. "We aspire to carry out measures that are truly based on my vision of a 'people-centred Asean," he said in his latest Facebook posting Saturday night. The two-day summit will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on April 26 and 27, next year. However, Najib said the goal of regional unity, stability and prosperity was not Malaysia’s alone, rather it was a vision which Malaysia had committed to. "We will also work towards realising our goal to be a community as we share common aspirations in political security, economy and social-cultural aspects," he noted. Earlier, Najib spent nearly an hour visiting all the main venues for the 26th Asean Summit, and he was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Hamzah Zainuddin, former chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During his visit, Najib had expressed his satisfication with the on-going preparations to host the 26th Asean Summit, which would be the first event to be held after Malaysia assumes the chairmanship of Asean beginning Jan 1, next year, taking over from Myanmar. In relating this, Head of Logistics of the Asean Secretariat 2015 K. Ilankovan said the preparations included the setting up of a special logistics secretariat to ensure smooth planning and implementation. "(The) PM wanted to see for himself the conference facilities, among others the venues for the opening ceremony, gala dinner and meeting rooms. He also gave plenty of ideas and certain directives for improvement," Ilankovan told Bernama after Najib's visit Saturday. Ilankovan said Najib also instructed the secretariat to prepare a very impressive Gala Dinner to showcase Malaysia’s unique advantage as Asean’s multinational marketplace. Besides the 26th Asean Summit that involves the the 47-year-old regional grouping, he said Malaysia would also host the 27th Asean summit on Nov 19 till 21 as well as related meetings with Asean's seven dialogue partners including Japan, China, India and the United States. For the record, Malaysia was Asean chairman in 1977 and 2005. As a curtain raiser, the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat will be held at The Magellan Sutera Resort, Kota Kinabalu, from Jan 27 to 28, next year. The Retreat is the first in the series of Asean Foreign Ministers' Meetings and other Related Meetings under Malaysia's Asean Chairmanship in 2015. During the Retreat, Asean Foreign Ministers are expected to discuss the priorities of ASEAN for 2015 and the ASEAN Community's Post-2015 Vision. -- BERNAMA