SPEECH BY AMBASSADOR ON THE OCCASION OF THE 51ST ANNIVERSARY OF INDEPENDENCE
Excellencies Ambassadors and their spouses,
distinguished guests,
ladies and gentlemen,
A very good evening to each and every one present here today.
On behalf of the entire staff of the Malaysian Embassy, my wife and I would like to warmly welcome you to our celebration of the 51st year of Independence of Malaysia.
Since the establishment of our resident Mission in Brasilia some 27 years ago, our relations with Brazil have grown from strength to strength. Today, the relations are multi-faceted and much more complex and at all levels, be they at international, regional or bilateral. At bilateral level, the cooperation extends to such fields as defence, investment and trade, sports and technical cooperation, just to name a few.
Malaysia and Brazil have quite extensive defence relations for which we are proud of. We also have strong bilateral trade relations with Brazil. It continues to grow at a robust pace and if the first six months is any indication, we can expect this year to be another record year in our bilateral trade.
It is my fervent hope that the coming years will bring greater accomplishments and more active friendship between Malaysia and Brazil.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Malaysia is a peaceful nation that is rich in culture with a society made up of different ethnic groups of different backgrounds and religious beliefs living together in peace and harmony.
Since gaining independence in 1957, Malaysia has gone through many trials and tribulations and had triumphantly overcome those challenges. It continues to move forward and remains stable and strong as a nation.
In the field of economy, we have consistently registered positive growths for the last nine years since the Asian financial crisis of 1997. For the first half of this year it registered a robust growth of 6.8%, fuelled by a strong performance of the service sector with strong consumer and tourist spending, as well as a healthy business environment. Going forward, I am confident that despite global economic uncertainties looming in the horizon, the economy will continue on its growth trajectory with the GDP projected to expand by about 5.7 % to 6% year-on-year.
Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,
Again, I would like to thank you for sharing this occasion with us. I would also like to take this opportunity to extend our best wishes to the Government and people of Brazil for the upcoming Independence Day of the Federative Republic of Brazil this weekend. May the Almighty bless the government and peoples of Brazil and President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva with continued good health, happiness and prosperity.
To conclude, I would like to invite you to a three minute DVD presentation for a glimpse of Malaysia and its varied attractions.