Brunei Troops To Join Malaysia In
Lebanon
Kuala Lumpur -
Brunei Darussalam has agreed to send a small contingent of about 100
troops together with the Malaysian contingent to Lebanon to
participate in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL),
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmed Badawi said.
The Malaysian premier met the media
yesterday after a four-eye meeting with His Majesty the Sultan and
Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in conjunction with the
10t'Annual Consultation, at the Awana Kijal Golf, Beach, and Spa
Resort in Kemaman, Bernama reported.
At the meeting, Abdullah said he
and His Majesty expressed regret over the developments in Lebanon.
The issue of overlapping oil
rights is yet to be resolved as Abdullah said it was still being
discussed at the officers' level. The prime minister said various
bilateral issues were discussed at the cordial meeting that lasted
for about an hour.
Malaysia and Brunei yesterday
agreed to build the Trans-Borneo Highway to facilitate travel
between the two countries in the future. Abdullah said theproposed
highway would link Kuching (Sarawak) to Brunei and Sabah. |
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The project was seen to be crucial
as it could contribute towards closer relations between the people
of the two neighbouring countries, he told reporters.
Also present were Foreign
Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and Minister in the Prime
Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok. |
When asked further on the project
including construction cost, Abdullah said: "Wait first, it's still
too early."
Abdullah said that for the long term,
the government also planned to build a highway that would link the
Trans-Borneo Highway to Kalimantan Indonesia.
"That is a project which we have to
consider later, it's not necessary to implement the project (to
Kalimantan) immediately," he said.
On travel between Sabah and Brunei,
the Prime Minister said both governments had also agreed to come up
with travelling procedures without using the passport.
"This can be worked out and Brunei
has agreed (on the matter), discussions had also been initiated and we
hope the discussion can come up with what we are hoping for," he said.
He said such facility had already
been implemented in Sarawak and would be extended to Sabah.
"The Sultan had said that many people
from Sabah go to Brunei. This means, such a facility is needed to make
it easier for travellers," he said.
On the petroleum issue involving both
the countries off Sabah shores that had cropped up since 2002,
Abdullah said the matter was still being discussed at the officers'
level between the two countries.
The dispute arose following
overlapping claims over Block J and K deep waters in Brunei's EEZ and
Malaysia's Blocks L and M off Sabah.
Meanwhile, Malaysia has invited
Brunei to send its officers to the country to follow the development
programmes implemented under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), Abdullah
said.
He also said that both countries have
agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields, including
the exchange of officers. "We have agreed to work towards enhancing
bilateral relations," he added. The annual consultations, which began
yesterday, will conclude today. --
Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin
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