U.S. Embassy To Launch Programmes Marking Peace Corp's 50th Anniversary in Malaysia

By Azzah Mohamad KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 (Bernama) -- The U.S. Embassy will launch a series of programmes and photo exhibitions throughout Malaysia this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps in Malaysia, reconnect with old friends and forge new connections, U.S. envoy Paul W. Jones said. The ambassador to Malaysia said the Peace Corps brought American volunteers to hundreds of cities and villages between 1961 and 1983 and changed the lives of thousands of Malaysians and Americans alike. "The spirit of the Peace Corps continues under the English Teaching Assistant (ETA) programme, a cooperative programme of our two governments, based on the commitment of U.S. President Barack Obama and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak," Jones recently told Bernama in an e-mail interview on his aspirations for the New Year. Jones said the ETA programme will "triple in 2012, bringing scores of young American teachers to the states of Terengganu, Pahang (both east coast states in Peninsular Malaysia respectively) and Johor". (southern states in Peninsular Malaysia) He said early last year that the ETA programme, which began in Terengganu, has been running successfully for six years. Under the programme, young American university graduates assist English teachers for 10 months. They come from various universities in the U.S. and represent a wide variety of major fields. Touching on economy, Jones described the economic partnership between the U.S. and Malaysia as vibrant and growing. He noted that the U.S. is Malaysia's largest foreign investor, with American companies employing and training tens of thousands of Malaysians over the years. "U.S. investors are helping Malaysia move toward its goal of becoming a high-income country by 2020, a partnership that we hope to expand through the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)," he said. He said the TPP can open doors for Malaysian entrepreneurs and promote Malaysia as an investment destination of choice for American companies. Jones pointed out what Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said during his visit to Malaysia in December: "The investments we are making now will lead to further peace and prosperity for the citizens of Malaysia, the U.S. and everyone in the Asia-Pacific region." "We are confident that 2012 will bring us ever closer to these goals, and we look forward to expanding U.S.-Malaysia relations for a brighter future for generations to come," Jones said. Looking back, he said 2011 has been a remarkable year in the revitalisation of U.S.-Malaysian relations. "The relationship between our governments continues to strengthen, as demonstrated by meetings between Prime Minister Najib and President Obama, and at many other levels," he said. Jones said that people-to-people ties were stronger than ever before, pointing out that between January and November 2011, some 6,700 Malaysian students pursued degrees in the U.S. "High-profile American participants in the LIMA Air Show, and successful joint military exercises, further underscored the importance of the U.S.-Malaysian relationship and its role in ensuring peace, security and maritime safety in the Asia-Pacific region," he added. -- BERNAMA