Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	SRI PERDANA, KUALA LUMPUR 
Tarikh/Date 	: 	27/02/97 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	THE OFFICIAL DINNER IN HONOUR OF 
			H.E. GENERAL TAN SRI CHAVALIT 
			YONGCHAIYUDH PRIME MINISTER 
			OF THAILAND 



   1.     It   gives   me  great  pleasure  to  welcome   Your
  Excellency,  Madam  and  members  of  your  delegation   to
  Malaysia.  Please accept my sincere felicitations  on  your
  recent  assumption  of  the  post  of  Prime  Minister   of
  Thailand.   Your  appointment  is  a  recognition  of  your
  distinguished  accomplishments  in  the  service  of   your
  country and people.
  
  2.    I  am  particularly  delighted  that  one  who  is  a
  familiar  personality and a friend of Malaysia  is  at  the
  helm  of  affairs in neighbouring Thailand, a country  with
  which  Malaysia has had long and close ties.  Your presence
  and  the  presence of many Thai senior government officials
  here  today  reflects  a desire to further  strengthen  the
  already  close  relations that exist between  Malaysia  and
  Thailand.   We  have had fruitful discussions and  exchange
  of  views  this afternoon on various bilateral and regional
  issues and I look forward to enhancing our relationship  in
  the years ahead.
  
  3.    It  is no secret that Malaysia and Thailand are close
  friends  and neighbours in the true spirit of  ASEAN.   Our
  relations  have  progressed amicably over the  years.   The
  bonds  of  friendship between Malaysia and Thailand,  based
  on  mutual  respect,  have resulted in strong  cross-border
  cooperation.
  
  4.    I am pleased to note that bilateral trade between the
  two   countries  has  been  growing  steadily  from  US$3.8
  billion  in 1994 to US$4.9 billion last year, recording  an
  increase   of  28.4  percent.    Despite  this  encouraging
  expansion  in  bilateral trade, the  level  of  investments
  between   our  two  countries  is  not  equally  impressive
  especially  given the numerous opportunities and incentives
  in  both  countries. It is my hope that  there  will  be  a
  marked improvement in this area of cooperation in the  near
  future.  I am delighted to know that Your Excellency  would
  give  a  talk  on investment opportunities in  Thailand  to
  prominent Malaysian and Thai businessmen tomorrow.  I  hope
  that  more  such events will be organised in our respective
  countries  for  mutual benefit.  There is a  need  also  to
  foster  strategic  linkages between our  entrepreneurs  and
  captains  of  industry in order to create  partnerships  in
  economic  development, not only at  national  but  also  at
  regional and global levels.
  
  5.    Being  neighbours  and sharing common  land  and  sea
  borders,  it  is  inevitable that there will  be  frictions
  every  now  and again in our relationship.  However,  I  am
  happy  to  note  that  through the  years,  certain  useful
  bilateral  mechanisms  like  the  annual  Joint  Commission
  Meetings  and the General Border Committee have managed  to
  overcome  problems,  or  kept them  at  a  low  level,  the
  subjects of negotiations rather than confrontation.
  
  6.    In planting the seeds of real cooperation between our
  private  sectors,  I  am encouraged to  note  that  in  the
  overlapping  continental  shelf  area,  we  have  turned  a
  potential  area of conflict into an area of shared  benefit
  by  creating the Joint Development Authority to exploit and
  equitably share the non-living resources.
  
  7.    I would also like to take this opportunity to express
  Malaysia's  position on the subject of illegal  immigrants.
  Malaysia   needs  foreign  workers  but  their  entry   and
  presence  must be in accordance with established procedures
  as   well   as   Malaysia's  laws  and  regulations.    We,
  therefore,  highly appreciate the cooperation  extended  to
  us  by  close  friends and neighbours such as  Thailand  in
  order  to  curb  the  entry  of  illegal  immigrants   into
  Malaysia.
  
  8.    On  regional matters, I am deeply convinced that  the
  depth  of  mutual understanding and trust between  our  two
  countries  has  significantly contributed  to  the  overall
  peace and cooperation in the region.  ASEAN will this  year
  celebrate  its  30th Anniversary which is evidence  of  its
  remarkable    and   enviable   success   as   a    regional
  organisation.  ASEAN  has now become  a  forum  capable  of
  sustained cohesiveness upon which various issues of  common
  concern   can   be  effectively  addressed   and   managed.
  Malaysia  looks  forward  to the early  realisation  of  an
  ASEAN  TEN  in which all the countries of South  East  Asia
  are  fully members of the ASEAN family.  I am sure that the
  new  members  will soon grow economically and  together  we
  will  have  a market of some 500 million people.   Even  if
  the  per  capita  is  small, the purchasing  power  of  500
  million people will be considerable.
  
  9.    Regional  and  international cooperation  have  today
  become an indispensable means of achieving the common  good
  and  prosperity  of countries.  Malaysia and  Thailand  are
  not  big  nations  but  we have shown  the  commitment  and
  courage  to  participate and contribute positively  in  the
  various  multilateral organisations. We will be  that  much
  more  effective  when we work in concert, as  for  example,
  through ASEAN.