MALAYSIA KEEN ON COLLABORATING WITH SOUTH SULAWESI - PM

By Mohd Nasir Yusoff

MAKASSAR, Nov 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is seriously looking into
collaborating with South Sulawesi the field of agriculture to enhance its food
security and in line with the offer made by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono recently.

Prime Minister Najib Razak said Wednesday he had discussed the possibility
with South Sulawesi Governor Shahrul Yasin Limpo during his one-day visit here
to attend the 689th commemoration of the Gowa regency.

"I've discused this with the governor. The cooperation in the field of
agriculture is offered by President Susilo to enhance Malaysia's food security
and help increase the income from agriculture among the farmers here," he said
in his speech at the ceremony in Gowa Wednesday.

Najib said the cooperation in the field of agriculture would be further
strengthen through the signing of three memorandums of understanding signed by
agencies under the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry and Indonesia's
Universitas Hasanuddin Wednesday.

Describing the cooperation as tangible, Najib said, it was a manifestation
of the cultural similarities between the Makassar Bugis in South Sulawesi and
those in Malaysia.

"This will undoubtedly strengthen the bilateral relations between Malaysia
and Indonesia," said Najib at the event.
-- BERNAMA