MALAYSIA TO HELP LAOS DEVELOP HUMAN CAPITAL

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will forge closer cooperation
with Laos in developing the human capital of the Indochinese country.

Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Malaysia
could share its experience in helping Laos develop its tertiary and higher
education sectors.

Laos, which registers between seven and eight per cent economic growth,
needs human resources and capital to spearhead its development and economic
growth, he told reporters after presenting diplomas to 328 students at the 10th
Food Institute of Malaysia's convocation here Monday.

Mohamed Khaled said Laos can learn from Malaysia on ways to involve the
private sector in developing its human capital as Malaysia boasted 45 private
institutions of higher learning and scores of private colleges.

"We signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on how to assist Laos in
developing its higher education sector. The help does not entail wooing Laos
students to study in Malaysia," he added.

The MoU was signed by Mohamed Khaled and his counterpart, Dr Fhankham
Viphavanh during Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's official visit to
Laos last week.

-- BERNAMA