KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia A Malaysian corporate leader has called for the new Malaysian government to reestablish friendly ties between Malaysia and South Africa as there is abundance of economic, education and cultural exchange opportunities to benefit.
Founder and Chairman of Country Heights Holdings Bhd, Lee Kim Yew said Malaysia was lucky to participate in the development of South Africa via the South-South Cooperation through Dr Mahathir Mohamad — during his 4th term as prime minister.
I am a bit disappointed that the South-South Cooperation was discontinued after the prime minister stepped down the first time, he said during the Nelson Mandela Centenary celebration here recently.
Mandela’s country home is very special as I built the Pecanwood Golf and Country Club there as one of the earliest Malaysian companies to invest, he said.
Mandela’s own words in his ‘Long Walk to Freedom’ book can also be applied to Tun Dr Mahathir, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah and other Malaysian leaders like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Wan Azizah (Deputy Prime Minister) who struggled for so long to keep on serving the nation.
President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, Mandela is known as South African anti-apartheid champion and also a leader for human rights, dignity and freedom.
The Nelson Mandela Centenary day held at the Palace of the Golden Horses hotel was co-hosted with the High Commission of South Africa.High Commissioner of South Africa, Samkelisiwe Isabel Mhlanga and wife to Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali also attended the event.
After Mandela retired as president in 1997, the Malaysian company’s group had the honour to take care of him for one week here at the hotel and for remembrance, a themed suite — the Nelson Mandela Suite was created.
At the event, children from the Fugee School Malaysia also participated in various activities. The school works closely with the refugee community from – Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Palestine and Pakistan.
Source: NAM News Network