FROM NOR BAIZURA BASRI M'SIA HELD IN HIGH REGARD AS MODEL NATION TO OIC MEMBER COUNTRIES

ISTANBUL, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is held in high regard by member
countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) for its remarkable
economic achievements and being a role model nation to them, says Deputy Prime
Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

He said this was personally conveyed to him by leaders of member countries
during bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the first economic summit in
conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Standing Committee for Economic and
Commercial Cooperation of the OIC.

"They look up to Malaysia as one of the Islamic developed nations and many
countries are keen to have bilateral relations and cooperation.

"They seek our assistance to learn from the remarkable progress Malaysia has
attained," he told Malaysian journalists before departing for home.

Muhyiddin said the recognition was a big honour to Malaysia for its untiring
efforts to develop the economy on par with some of the developed OIC members.

On Monday, the Deputy Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with four OIC
leaders. They are the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Khalifah Al-Thani; Somalia
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden;
Mauritania Prime Minister Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf; and Sierra Leone
President Ernest Bai Koroma.

During the meeting with Moulaye, Muhyiddin said the Mauritanian government
invited Malaysian companies to venture into the country's oil and gas industry
which has vast growth potential.

He said Moulaye praised the contribution by Malaysia's petroleum company
Petronas which started oil and gas extraction work in Mauritania several years
ago.

"He (Moulaye) was so excited and happy with the very professional role being
played by Petronas in developing his country's oil and gas sector.

"On that principle, he called for more bilateral economic cooperation
between Malaysia and Mauritania," he said.

Mauritania, thrice the size of Arizona in the United States, is in
north-west Africa, with 592 kilometres of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.

Iron ore mining is the primary industry in mineral and petroleum-rich
Mauritania.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone, which has Felda-modelled oil palm scheme, intends
to expand the 2,800 hectares (7,000 acre) planted with oil palm, said Muhyiddin.

"There are vast tracts of undeveloped land in that country. One of them is
to help their people plant oil palm on a large scale.

"I welcome the idea and will discuss the idea with Felda management on ways
to successfully implement the proposed plan by Sierra Leone," he said.

Felda is a Malaysian government agency handling the resettlement of rural
poor into newly developed areas. It focuses on opening smallholder farms growing
cash crops.

On the meeting with Sheikh Hamad, Muhyiddin said among matters discussed
were Iskandar Malaysia, halal products and trade and investment opportunities
between the two countries.

"He wants bilateral relations between Malaysia and Qatar enhanced and asked
Malaysian companies in Qatar to continue their business," he said.

Muhyiddin also touched on the mutual collaboration prospects in the halal
food production sector and investment in Iskandar Malaysia, the main southern
development corridor in the southern state of Johor.
-- BERNAMA