Malaysia to wait for Thailand's formal request for help
Putrajaya : Malaysia will wait for Thailand to make a formal and specific request on the areas it needs help to arrest the civil strife in its southern region, said Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The request has to be initiated by the neighbouring country as it involved Thai sovereignty, he said, adding Thailand should spell out the form of help it needed before Malaysia could make an offer. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Thai counterpart, Gen Surayud Chulanont, had agreed that Malaysia would help and the offer still stands, added Najib, commenting on the escalating violence in southern Thailand. "But it depends on the Thais to suggest what form of assistance they need from Malaysia," Najib said. "One form of help we have offered is training 35 Thai youths at Giat Mara centres," he added. Asked about claims that Malaysian firms had been affected by the unrest, Najib, who is also Defence Minister, said: "It is incumbent on the host country to safeguard the security of foreign investors, as much as it is Malaysia's responsibility to safeguard the security of those investing in Malaysia." by the Star/Asia News Network/
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