Dinner in Honour of past recepients of MTCP Participants
14 July 2006
News Review, Santiago
The Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) began in 1980 with a view to sharing experiences with other developing countries based on the belief that the development of a country depends on the quality of its human resources. Since 1980 the programme has focused on south-south cooperation through the association with partners who mutually reinforce and support one another.
Over the last decade the MTCP has granted training opportunities at Malaysian universities institutions and government agencies for over 30 Chilean professional in areas such as urban development, English language training, TV editing and management crisis.
Recently appointed Malaysia Ambassador to Chile, Abdullah Faiz Zain, invited former MTCP scholars and Directors of the Chilean International Cooperation Agency (AGCI) to an informal dinner on July 14 to get to know each other and keep in touch.
The Ambassador and his family greeted their guests with a warm ?Selamat Datang?, (welcome) in Malaysian. Ambassador Faiz explained that the MTCP was founded under the motto 'Prosper Thy Neighbour' and that neighbours are not only right across the frontier, but also across the ocean. 'Malaysia', said Faiz, ?in a modest way, wishes to share its experience in nations building?. The head of the Malaysian Mission went on to emphasize some of the similarities between Chile and Malaysia and said that relations between the two countries are good and can be better.
Harald Kurt Sievers, a Captain in the Chilean Navy took a course in crisis management in the Malaysian academy for International Diplomacy and Foreign Relations thanks to the MTCP. "It was a spectacular experience, the course as much as the stay there. The Malaysians apply the concept of crisis management to many situations and what I learned there has been useful in my work", said Sievers.
Another MTCP scholar, Irene Righetti a commercial engineer and MBA who works for the Chilean governmental agency MIDE-PLAN was in Malaysia for two months studying urban development. ?In Malaysia urban planning is done far in advance and they even take landscaping into account. I was also very impressed by the fact that in 2001, when I visited, there was no unemployment?, Righetti said.
In general the meeting was an opportunity for the former students to share cherished memories of an exotic far away country, with a high level of development but, above all, of hospitality.
Andrea Zondek, Executive Director of AGCI, commented that one of the most important aspects of this type of cooperation is the cultural exchange. "All these Chileans have had the opportunity to visit and study in this country that is so far away, but that has no many similarities whit Chile. They have gotten to know the culture, the climate, and the food in a way that makes them promoters of the country. This type of cultural exchange is the friendly branch of foreign relation policies".
Zondek also mentioned that Malaysia is an interesting country for Chileans to visit due to its level of achievement in development issues. "I visited in 1994 and was very impressed to see a country, not so different from ours, that over a 20 years period has overcome poverty".
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