WEDNESDAY-5TH DECEMBER 2007-MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE SIGN MOU ON EDUCATION

Malaysia, Singapore sign MoU on education
SINGAPORE:
Malaysia and Singapore yesterday formalised their cooperation in the education field after realising recently that their past collaborations were done without official stamp. Malaysian Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said he was shocked to discover that for many years education activities and exchanges between the two countries were conducted informally. He was speaking at the opening of the Malaysia-Singapore Business Forum here prior to signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Educational Cooperation between the Education Ministries of Malaysia and Singapore at the forum venue. His Singaporean counterpart who is also the Finance Minister, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, inked the MoU on behalf of the Singapore Education Ministry. Speaking to reporters later, Hishammuddin said he discovered the matter about six months ago but with the good understanding and his personal rapport with Tharman, and Singapore’s government sincerity, the memorandum with all the details was readied in a very short time. Under the cooperation, both sides will, among others, carry out exchange programmes involving ministry officials, school principals and students from both sides, teaching of the English language and inculcating good values among the students which will go a long way towards constructing a platform for even healthier bilateral relations in the future. Currently, 14 Malaysian schools are linked-up with their Singaporean counterparts in areas such as leadership skills, sports and arts. Hishammuddin is on a five-day official visit to Singapore — his maiden trip to the republic, as Education Minister. He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong today. - Bernama