Asean Needs To Create More Smart Partnerships With Myanmar

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Bernama) -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) needs to create more smart partnerships with Myanmar in boosting regional growth. Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia (Isis) chief executive Dr Mahani Zainal Abidin said Asean must play a pivitol role in Myanmar's development, especially in business development. "Myanmar is currently, a fast growing country with a lot of bright markets with projection of six per cent of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) this financial year...so, there are a lot of opportunities for companies there," she said in her opening remarks at the Myanmar Roundtable 2012 here on Monday. The day-long roundtable titled, 'Undertsanding the Changes, Realising the Opportunities', organised by Isis was also attended by Myanmar Ambassador to Malaysia U Tin Latt. Mahani also said there was a need to create awareness among Myanmar's more than 60 million population that Asean was not only a cultural and social grouping but also involved business cooperation. "They must see Asean as a business partner, and Asean countries must encourage their companies to do business in Myanmar. We must not let the role go to developed countries," she added. Meanwhile, one of the speakers, Singapore University's Associate Professor of Political Science Dr Briget Welsh, said in developing partnership with Myanmar, foreign countries and companies should listen to the Myanmar leaders on how they want to develop their country. "Myanmar wants to lead their development, they don't want others to do it for them. Must listen to what they have in mind, and work together, hand-in- hand with them. They can't do this themselves, and need partnership. But they only accept the right kind of partnership," she said. For Myanmar Rice Industry Association secretary-general U Ye Min Aung, the development of the country's infrastructure needed to be upgraded in a move to accelerate business development in the country. This was especially so, in promoting the rural agricultural sector which would directly benefit the farmers, he said, adding that the Myanmar Government wanted the local business to bloom in line with the foreign business, not be 'killed' by it. Meanwhile, Rector of Myanmar's Yezin Agriculture University Dr Tin Htut said Myanmar needed to learn from Malaysia's achievement in transforming the country from agriculture into manufacturing, and how Malaysia modernised its agriculture sector. Since Malaysia and Myanmar shared a lot in common, especially in social, cultural and history, "these similarities make it easier for us to share and adapt to develop our country," he told Bernama on the sideline of the roundtable. Htut, one of the speakers at the roundtable, said one area that Myanmar and Malaysia could work together was in biotechnology. especially in padi cultivation. There was also a need for more exchange programmes involving university students, and cooperation involving universities in assisting Myanmar in its move to enhance human capital, he added. He said the other aspect Myanmar could learn was on the tourism industry since there was a lot of interest from people the world over, to visit Myanmar. "Currently, we are looking into developing our eco-tourism and agro-tourism. But in order to do this, the country must improve. "We must have better tourism infrastractures like hotels, beside basic infrastructures like roads," he said. -- BERNAMA