INTERNATIONAL FORUM AGREES ON SIX CONCLUSIONS

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- The two-day International Forum titled "The
Creation Of A Global Citizen: Media Liberalisation And The New Political
Realities" which ended Tuesday agreed that the process of globalisation is
achievable and should be allowed to evolve.

Its moderator Syed Hamid Albar, in his final remarks, said that this was among
the six conclusions made at the forum.

"Global citizenship is achievable...it's a process which must be allowed to
evolve and there must be a need for understanding its complexity so that we can
adopt and adapt and make a full adjustment to the new reality," he said during
the panel discussion for the winding-up of the forum, here, Tuesday.

"The second conclusion is media liberalisation is inevitable...its how we
endure, deal with it," Syed Hamid said.

"We also need more fairer and more equitable world order that must abridge
multilateral socioeconomic and political interactions between developing and
developed country," he added.

"The fourth conclusion, there should not be imposition of idea and system on any
individual or state," he said, adding that whatever differences should be
settled by peaceful means without resorting to aggression or violence.

"Fifthly, there should not be one-size-fits-all solution. Each country has its
own needs and requirements based on its own declaration of circumstances," he
said.

"Six, we must exercise our rights with clear thinking about our obligations, ...
cannot be a lopsided talk," he said.

The two-day forum, attended by 63 representatives of 22 political parties from
20 countries, was held in conjunction with this year's Umno General Assembly.

Earlier, Chairman of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties
(ICAPP) Jose De Venecia from the Philippines said the Malaysian political
leadership was looking confidently to enhance opportunities and challenges that
globalisation present.

"Globalisation is shorthand for the way trade, investment and industry are
spreading around the world in a more or less uniform pattern - transcending
political frontiers and national cultures," he said during the panel discussion
session.

On the economic globalisation, De Venecia said Malaysia and the Philippines were
both linked organically to this global economic core.

"The Malaysian Prime Minister last June announced the 10th Malaysia Plan, which
outlined new economic reforms, in the services sector, to attract more direct
foreign investment in the cutting-edge technology industries," he said.

"More than eight million Filipino migrants and overseas contract workers,
forerunners of tomorrow's open societies - are broadcast in 120 countries," he
said.
-- BERNAMA