VARSITY STUDENTS CAN HELP BOOST INDONESIA-M'SIA TIES

KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysian and Indonesian university students could help clarify issues at varsities to boost bilateral relations.

Indonesian parliament's Committe on Defence, Foreign and
Inter-parliamentary Affairs Committee (Committee 1) vice chairman vice-chairman Muhammad Najib said there had been issues which were exploited and caused unnecessary conflicts between the two nations.

"The 14,000 Indonesian students here and the equally high number of
Malaysian studying in Indonesia can help boost relations at universities" he told Bernama after attending a roundtable aimed at enhancing Malaysia-Indonesia relations and strengthening regional integration in Asean, here Monday.

Mohammed Najib said the higher education ministries of both countries should seek to organise various activities involving university students to further clarify current issues faced by Malaysia and Indonesia.

He also suggested that the parliaments of both countries set up a friendship group to foster relations between the members of parliaments of both nations.

Meanwhile, the editor of Malaysia's The Sun newspaper, Zainon Ahmad, who also participated in the roundtable, said the Malaysian and Indonesian governments must solve outstanding issues such as Indonesian illegal immigrants in Malaysia, the issue on the sending of domestic help, the safety and welfare of Indonesian workers and boundary disputes.
-- BERNAMA