Malaysian King Arrives In Christchurch, First Stop On Antartica Visit

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysian King Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin arrived here on Sunday, on the first stop of his five-day working visit to Antarctica. He was welcomed by Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker and his wife Joanna Nicholls-Parker, Malaysian High Commissioner to New Zealand Mazlan Muhammad and senior High Commission officials, at Christchurch International Airport about 9.25 am local time (4.45 am Malaysian). The King was accompanied by Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Minister Dr Maximus Ongkili, Academy of Sciences Malaysia Antartica Taskforce chairman Salleh Mohd Nor and National Antarctica Research Centre director Prof Dr Azizan Abu Samah. Tuanku Mizan was then accorded a ceremonial Maori welcome at their traditional 'meeting house', after which he met briefly with several World War 11 veterans who had served in Malaya (at the time) before proceeding to Peppers Clearwater Resort. Tuanku Mizan is scheduled to depart for Scott Base on Monday and also include a visit to the nearby United State's McMurdo Station, both located on McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. Scott Base is a research facility operated by New Zealand and McMurdo Station is the continent's largest science base. Malaysia's involvement with Antarctica began when Malaysia, Antigua and Barbuda highlighted the Antarctica issue at the United Nations General Assembly in 1983. A cabinet approval in 1997 set off Malaysia's scientific research in the continent and as of last year, seven institutions of higher learning have conducted 62 expeditions, involving 60 researchers, said an earlier MOSTI statement. -- BERNAMA Malaysia