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UMSlooksto Argentina's
inseaweed
collaboration
research
Kt'
-15°3
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By Chok Sim Yee
KOTA KINABALU: Universiti
Sabah's (UMS)
Malaysia
reputable and established
academicresearch on seaweed,
marine and natural resources
can be advanced further with
and technologyscientific
sharing with Argentina.
UMS vice-chancellor Prof
Datuk Dr Harun Abdullah said
for instance,hadbeen
seaweed,
to
proven bethenextalternative
energy resources and it had
its potential in the medicine,
healthcare and biotechnology
industries.
He said the university campus
was strategically located at the
heart of maritime Southeast
Asia, and enriched with
untapped resources in marine
and natural resources which
were advantages that could be
fully utilized with scientific
and technology-sharing with
Argentina.
Harun said this during
Ambassador of the Argentine
Republic in Malaysia Maria
Isabel Rendon's official visit to
the university here yesterday.
delivered
Rendon
a
presentation entitled 'ArgentinaMalaysia Relations:Present and
Future'.
Harun said the mutual
economic exchange between
Argentina and Malaysia was
enhanced with the mutual
agreement signed between the
Malaysian government and the
government of the Republic
of Argentina to exempt taxes
on income from the operation
of ships and aircraft
on
international ships.
"Statistics in 2011 showed
a stimulating trade exchange
between both countries.
"For example, the total
trade between Malaysia and
Argentina in 2011was recorded
at USD 1.38 billion, which is
equivalent to RM 4.22billion. "
In the era of the late Tun
Abdul Razak, the second
Prime Minister of Malaysia,
our country embarkedon the
non-alignmentpolicy as its new
Puteri Gunung Ledang in
Spanish in front of the Spanish
Ambassador in Kuala Lumpur.
"As an outcome of this, one
of our students was offered
a scholarship to pursue her
studies abroad."
Meanwhile, Rendon said it
was her second visit to UMS
this time and shehas discussed
possibilities of cooperation
between UMS and Argentinean
universities with the deans.
ShesaidArgentina'seconomic
strength wasin its agriculture
and commoditysector.
"We are also well known for
our quality Argentinean meat."
Rendon said the main export
Harun(right)presenting
to
Malaysia was commodities
Rendon.
a souvenir
to
from the agricultural sector
formula on foreign policy.
imported
Harun said UMS had close to while Argentina
Since then, Harun
devices,
14,967
said
undergraduate students
electrical
medical
Malaysia's foreign policy had and 1,692postgraduate students.
equipment, gloves and optical
been consistent as a way of
"We also welcomed 527foreign
equipment from our country.
enhancing its diplomatic relations
On that note, shesaidbilateral
students mostly from China.
with all countries regardless of
"Although UMS has yet to trade between both countries
their differences in ideology and
receive any students or academic was growing at a steady and
health rate.
political systems.
staff from Argentina, I believe in
This policy had also been the years to come, an academic
Rendon went on to say that
nurtured by the longest serving
collaboration in the form of a few bilateral agreements
Malaysian Prime Minister Tun
researchand exchangeprogramme betweenboth countries had been
Dr Mahathir Mohammad who
can be developedbetweenus."
signedover the years,suchas the
Trade Agreement, Commercial
For the benefit of education
strongly supported the idea of
'prosper thy neighbour' which he and realizing the importance of Economic
Cooperation
Agreement, Scientific and
Argentina to Malaysia and the
inserted into his latest book 'A
Doctor in the House', he said.
world at large, Harun said UMS Technical Cooperation, Air
Transport Agreement and a
Mahathir
was offering 'The International
stated that 'we
Politics of Latin America' course Memorandum of Understanding
realized the best way to help
ourselves was to help others. By under the International Relations (MoU) in tourism.
doing soyou don't simply generate Programme at the Faculty of
Shesaid the tourism industry
wasalso an important sector for
gratitude and goodwill, you also Humanities, Arts and Heritage.
create partners and friends,
"This is becauseLatin America Argentina with many tourists
Harun quoted.
illustrates a uniquecasestudyon coming from America and
Harun said Malaysia saw globalizationanddemocratization Europe, as well as a growing
its relations with Argentina
for our students."
number of Malaysians.
Harun addedthat the university
as equally important as other
On Argentina's investment in
countries.
used to offer SpanishLanguage as Sabah, Rendon said Industrias
Based on records from the
Pescarmona
one ofthe foreign languagestaught Metalurgicas
Malaysian Ministry of Foreign
at the Centre for the Promotion of (IMPSA), a leading Argentine
Affairs, Malaysia established
Knowledge and Language since company entered a contract in
its first diplomatic relation with
the Spanish language was second 2010to rehabilitate the Tenom
Argentina on June 7,1967.The first
in terms of its number of native
Pangi hydro power plant at the
Argentine Embassywas openedin
speakers worldwide and also the
Padas River here. The project
Kuala Lumpur on August 1983, official language in most Latin
has rehabilitated three turbines
American
the
Malaysian
Embassy
to supply renewable energy to
countries.
while
was
"As I recall a wonderful memory 150,000households.
openedin BuenosAires in 1989.
"Sincethen,bilateral relations, back in 2000/2001where a group
Also present during the event
including economicties, between of studentsfrom the International
was Deputy Chief of Mission
these two countries, have Programme was invited to of the Embassy of Argentina
improvedsteadily."
Marcos A. Bednarski.
perform a Malay drama entitled