MINISTER IN LONDON TO DISCUSS POSTAL DEVELOPMENT, ISLAMIC CIVILISATION

From Mohd Nasir Yusoff

LONDON, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Information Communication and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim arrived here Thursday for a three-day working visit which includes taking a look at the British postal communication industry to develop Malaysia’s postal sector.

As the postal industry run by the Royal Mail here has succeeded in handling
various transactions relating to post and transportation of goods, it is a good
model for study.

"We need a new comparison in the postal industry and related activities to
see the opportunities for development in future,” Dr Rais told reporters here.

Royal Mail Holdings Plc was reported to handle 84 million items every
working day and has a chain of over 14,000 post offices with transaction value
of over 9.056 billion pound sterling and pre-tax profit of 312 million pound
sterling in 2006.

Dr Rais, who is accompanied by his wife, Masnah Rais, will also
visit the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, where Malaysian sculptors have
forged a neaningful cooperation with carvings worth RM12 million (US$1=RM3.4) to
adorn its
auditorium.



"We will discuss the possibility of the Islamic Centre in Oxford studying
the development of the Islamic civilisation in our region and the far east from
the cultural aspect,” Dr Rais said.

On Saturday he will leave for Barcelona, Spain, to attend the GSMA
(Mobile
World Congress) where Malaysia will give its views on the direction of the
mobile communication industry.

"We will also have the opportunity to gain knowledge and view the
developments in the developed nations to determine the future of this industry
in Malaysia,” he said.

Also in the delegation is Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission
chairman Khalid Ramli.

-- BERNAMA