Malaysia donates US$100,000 to Sri Lanka for the welfare of the IDPs

(August 13, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Government of Malaysia donated a sum of US$100,000 to the Government of Sri Lanka for the welfare of the Internally Displaced Sri Lankans affected by the conflict.

Accepting the donation on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka from the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Sri Lanka, Rosli Ismail, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama placed on record the appreciation of the Government of Sri Lanka for the symbolic gesture of the strong friendship between the two countries and stated that the Government of Malaysia has consistently been supportive of Sri Lanka’s efforts, especially in the fight against terrorism. He also stated that the donation from the Malaysian Government would go directly to people concerned.

The Foreign Minister then recalled the various meetings and interactions he had had in the recent past with Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and also referred to the continued dialogue between H. E President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Hon. Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, which have further strengthened the relations between the two countries.

Responding to Foreign Minister Bogollagama, High Commissioner Ismail congratulated the Government of Sri Lanka on the defeat of LTTE terrorism after over 30 years and referred to the defeat as a “big achievement” while reiterating the message of the Malaysian Prime Minister in this regard. He also emphasized the Malaysian Government’s willingness to participate in the economic development of Sri Lanka and assured that Malaysia would continue its economic assistance to Sri Lanka.

Foreign Minister Bogollagama then noted that Malaysia is one of the largest investors in Sri Lanka and expressed hope that further investment would be forthcoming from Malaysia, especially in order to rebuild and develop the north and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. He also pointed out that there were many Sri Lankan investors who had invested in Malaysia and stated that he was pleased that Malaysia was also keen to continue its investments in Sri Lanka, which he said would be mutually beneficial to the two countries. He further stated that the bilateral relations shared between Sri Lanka and Malaysia were “multifaceted” and that both countries work closely on economic and political matters. He added that he looked forward to the continued cooperation between the two countries.

The presentation of the donation took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 13th August 2009 in the presence of senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Malaysian High Commission in Colombo.

-Sri Lanka Guardian