Malaysian PM's Wife In Dubai For Asia Pacific Conference On Giftedness

From Abdul Muin Majid DUBAI, July 13 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian prime minister's wife, Rosmah Mansor, is leading the Malaysian delegation to the 12th Asia Pacific Conference on Giftedness which opens here Saturday. Malaysian Ambassador (designate) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ahmad Anwar Adnan said that Rosmah was invited to attend the conference by the organiser, based on her activities and achievements with the 'Permata Negara' programme. The event is organised by the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Academic Performance, under the Asia Pacific Federation on Giftedness, a non-profit organisation for the development and education of gifted and talented children. Rosmah has spearheaded the Permata (Gems) initiative, of which she is patron, focusing on the development of early childhood education and care which has since been widened to include the Permata Pintar (Smart Gems), Permata Seni (Art Gems) and Permata Insan (Precious Human) programmes. "Rosmah has been listed by the organiser as one of the practitioners who has contributed to the innovative thinking in the field of education for the gifted," the envoy told the Malaysian media ahead of the conference. Rosmah has been given the honour to deliver the opening remarks on Saturday and a keynote address on 'Optimising the Potential of the Gifted and Talented' on Sunday, in conjunction with the five-day gathering at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC). Carrying the theme, 'Nurturing Talent, Growing Potential: Capitalising on Human Potential at the Early Stages and Nurturing Talent Through Education', the conference is scheduled to be opened by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE's Finance Minister. The event includes workshops, as well as the Children and Youth Summit, attracting more than 2,000 participants from around the world, specialising in the field of education, particularly that of gifted and talented children, as well as gifted children with special needs. Ahmad Anwar said, another highlight of Rosmah's presence at the conference was her dialogue session with parents of gifted children on Saturday. Joining her at the Dubai conference are several members of the Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) of Malaysia. "It will be a good exposure for them as future leaders of Bakti, as the conference will allow them to understand the significance of the subject matter of giftedness, which is part of talent development in the context of nation building," Ahmad Anwar said. He said that on the sidelines of the conference, Rosmah was scheduled to call on Sheikh Hamdan and Humaid Mohammed Al Qutami, UAE's Education Minister and chairman of the conference. The Asia Pacific Conference on Giftedness is a biennial event with the 2010 edition hosted by Sydney. The 2014 event will be held in Shanghai, China. The ambassador said that in conjunction with the invitation for Rosmah to attend the conference, the organiser had also invited members of Permata Seni to give several performances, including at the parallel Children and Youth Summit at the Institute of Applied Technology before an audience of about 700 people. Rosmah, who is patron of Permata Seni, is also scheduled to attend another performance by Permata Seni, organised in conjunction with the Dubai Summer Surprises Festival at the DICEC. A programme under the Permata Negara umbrella, Permata Seni is managed by the Information Communication and Culture Ministry and implemented by the Culture and Arts Department. Comprising the Permata Seni Choir, Permata Seni Music and Permata Seni Dance, members of Permata Seni are expected to stamp their presence in Dubai with their remarkable talent. -- BERNAMA