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| Najib to join world leaders at CHOGM in Perth Posted: 24 Oct 2011 09:50 PM PDT 2011/10/25 PERTH: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak joins 52 world leaders at the three-day Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which begins here on Friday at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in the city's central business district. Najib, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, is expected to arrive in this western Australian city, tomorrow evening. The following day, the Prime Minister is scheduled to deliver a keynote address, "Building Infrastructure for the 21st Century" at the Commonwealth Business Forum at the Burswood Entertainment Complex here.
Bilateral meetings are planned for Najib with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, Commonwealth Secretary-general Kamalesh Sharma and Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan. Sri Lanka will be host at the next CHOGM in 2013.
After the official opening, to be attended by Queen Elizabeth II, and a formal executive session, the leaders will head for a private retreat at the State Reception Centre in Kings Park. This is the third time Australia is playing host to this biennial meeting of leaders representing the world's largest and smallest, richest and poorest countries.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard in her welcoming notes, said the country is the first nation to host CHOGM three times - Melbourne in October 1981 and Coolum in March 2002. Describing Perth as a vibrant international city and a gateway to the Indian Ocean, she said the city "provides an ideal setting for CHOGM 2011 to celebrate their partnerships across the Coomonwealth". The theme this year is "Building National Resilience, Building Global Resilience". In the words of Gillard:"CHOGM 2011 presents an opportunity to strengthen the Commonwealth and its institutions, support the economic and development needs of members, and to use our Commonwealth voice to tackle the most important global challenges. Commonwealth member countries span six continents and oceans from Africa (19),to Asia (eight), the Americas (three), the Caribbean (10), Europe (three and the South pacific (11). Malaysia hosted CHOGM in October 1989, at the end of which the Langkawi Declaration on Environment was issued. The Kuala Lumpur Statement - 'South Africa: The Way Ahead" maintained pressure on the Pretoria regime and endorsed the programme to bring peace and democracy to South Africa. The meeting also initiated a high-level appraisal of the role of the Commonwealth in the 1990s and beyond. In that meeting, Nigerian diplomat and former foreign minister Chief Emeka Anyaoku was elected as the third Commonwealth secretary-general, starting in July 1990. Commonwealth leaders have met regularly for more than a century. The first meetings, known as Colonial Conferences, held regularly until 1937.
It was in Singapore in 1971 that the term Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was adopted to encompass both presidents and prime ministers. Since then CHOGMs have taken place on a biennial basis. It was also at the Singapore meeting, that the landmark Declaration of Commonwealth Principles was issued. Another landmark declaration was the Harare Commonwealth Declaration issued at the 1991 CHOGM in Zimbabwe. Both declarations expressed the fundamental values of the 54-member Commonwealth - to promote peace and international co-operation, democracy and good governance, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and the alleviation of poverty through sustainable economic and social development. Issues discussed at CHOGMs include international peace and secruity, democracy, good governance, sustainable development, debt management, education, environment, gender equality, health, human rights, information and communication technology, law, multilateral trade issues, small states and youth afffairs. This year, 53 countries are represented. Fiji, will not be attending as it suspended from membership in September 2009 pending restoration of a democratically elected government. Full content generated by Get Full RSS. |
| Committee on hudud: Kelantan forms panel to study implementation Posted: 24 Oct 2011 05:53 PM PDT 2011/10/25 KOTA BARU: The Pas-led Kelantan government yesterday formed a technical committee to study the possibility of implementing the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment II, or hudud, in the state. The setting up of the panel, which will have 19 members initially and headed by Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, affirmed the state government's intention to press ahead with its hudud plan.
"It (the panel) will study the possibility of implementing the enactment as there are legal views that it (hudud) can be applied without amending the Federal Constitution.
The state government is adamant about enforcing hudud despite objections from many quarters, including DAP, its partner in the federal opposition grouping. Members of the committee comprise mostly senior state government officials, state executive councillors and assemblymen.
He said the panel would discuss the terms of reference and other matters at its first meeting, the date of which would be decided by its chair man.
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