AIPA CAUCUS MEETING ENDS ON A HIGH NOTE

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- The first Asean Inter-Parliamentary
Assembly (AIPA) Caucus Meeting ended on a high note today with all member
countries, minus Thailand, agreeing to adopt the resolutions on common
legislations for harmonisation of laws.

"All ten resolutions were thought out, decided on and agreed thoroughly by
the AIPA Caucus delegates," AIPA Caucus chairman Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku
Jaafar told reporters after the conclusion of the two-day meeting at Parliament
House Tuesday.

The eight countries that make up the AIPA Caucus meeting are Malaysia, the
Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand.

Thailand's representatives, however, could not make it to the meeting due to
political unrest back home. Myanmar and Brunei meanwhile were here as observers.

Wan Junaidi said among the resolutions agreed included the establishment of
specific working groups to look into developing common legislative initiatives
of various related laws.

They also agreed that the AIPA Caucus would undertake measures to work
closely, continuously and effectively within all member countries.

He also said the meeting had agreed that the AIPA secretariat should
coordinate and identify issues and a common set of protocols applicable within
AIPA member countries to address immediate problems with a view to facilitate
regional cooperation in the area of legal harmonization and enforcement in the
long run.

Wan Junaidi said the resolutions also included an initiative to set up an
effective mechanism to address harmonisation of procedures, enforcement,
training and investigations and endeavor for an Asean-wide convention/treaty on
repatriation/extradition.

The meeting also agreed to encourage AIPA member countries to concentrate on
the practical aspects of enforcement and share best practices/success stories in
effectively addressing these problems.

He also said that the meeting recommended that the AIPA Caucus consult the
Asean Secretariat on regular basis including but not to limited to senior law
officials to obtain expert legal advice on harmonisation of laws.

-- BERNAMA