UN ASKS M'SIA TO PLAY ROLE IN MYANMAR'S DEMOCRATISATION

SHARM EL-SHEIKH (Egypt), July 16 (Bernama) -- The United Nations (UN) has
asked Malaysia and other Asean countries to use their influence to help fellow
member Myanmar resolve its internal problems for it to return to democracy,
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said here.

He said the request was made by UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon at a
meeting they had on the sidelines of the 15th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM) in this resort city.

Najib said Ban felt that there have been positive developments in Myanmar
whereby the country's leaders were seen to be receptive to the process of
democratisation.

"But Ban is still doubtful as to whether the Myanmar leadership will
actually take the country forward to become a democratic nation," he told
Malaysian journalists.

Ban visited Myanmar recently but failed to secure any assurance from the
country's leaders on the release of Myanmar pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu
Kyi who is under detention.

Besides Ban, Najib also held bilateral meetings with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and North Korean leader Kim Yong Nam.

On his meeting with Manmohan Singh, Najib said the Indian prime minister
invited Malaysian companies to participate in the project to construct 7,500km
of roads in that country given their excellent performance in the past.

He said Manmohan Singh said he might visit Malaysia next year and expressed
the hope that Najib would visit India.

On the meeting with Arroyo, Najib said Malaysia expressed its preparedness
to play a more active role in helping to find a solution to the peace process in
the southern Philippines.

He said the first thing to do would be to stop the conflict in the area and
then initiate talks.

Najib is scheduled to hold talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and
several other NAM heads of government on the final day Thursday of the summit.
-- BERNAMA