MALAYSIA'S MANDATE AS HEAD OF MONITORING TEAM TO MINDANAO HAILED

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- Parties involved in the peace process in
Mindanao, Philippines, have welcome the mandate given to Malaysia to once again
head the International Monitoring Team to monitor the peace process in the area,
the Defence Ministry said.

This was based on feedback obtained by a Malaysian armed forces team, headed
by Chief of Staff Lt-Gen Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor, who went
to Mindanao from Monday to Sunday to assess the situation, the ministry said
in a statement.

Other contingents involved in the peace monitoring team had also welcomed
Malaysia's mandate, it said.

Defence Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced Sunday that
Malaysia had been given the mandate to head the monitoring team which also
comprised contingents from Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Qatar and the European
Union.

The team would monitor the ceasefire between the Philippine government and
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and provide a conducive environment for the
peace negotiations between the two parties.


The Malaysian team will depart for the Philippine on Sunday and would be
there for a year.

It will be headed by a senior armed forces personnel and consists of three
officers, one personnel, three policemen and four civilian officers.

The Malaysian armed forces were involved in monitoring the ceasefire in the
area between September 2004 and September 2008.

-- BERNAMA