MALAYSIAN PM TO VISIT AUSTRALIA IN MARCH

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), Jan 11 (Bernama) -- Najib Tun Razak is to visit Australia in March where talks on bilateral relations are expected to include links between major cities of the two countries.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said that "connectivity" of the
cities, supported by airline services, would promote "bilateral tourism" apart
from business.

"In fact, arrangements for a direct flight between Perth and Kota Kinabalu
is already in motion," he told reporters here Monday night.

Malaysia Airlines is expected to make its inaugural flight from Perth to
Kota Kinabalu this Sunday, he said.

Anifah did not disclose the date of the Prime Minister's official visit,
but said Najib is expected to discuss with Australian leaders the proposed
Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement and prevention of human trafficking,
among other issues.

Anifah also said that leaders of the European countries he visited in
December -- Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Slovakia -- all expressed support
for Malaysia's initiative on the Global Movement of Moderates.

" They were very impressed by what the Prime Minister said in his speech (at
the United Nations General Assembly in Brussels last September) where he
stressed that it's not Muslims versus the west but moderates versus the
extremists because there are moderates and extremists in all religions," he
said.

He said Malaysia is trying to define and categorise the terms
'moderates' and 'extremists' and will engage various sectors, including the
country's religious experts and the media.

--BERNAMA