Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. 
			MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	PALACE OF THE GOLDEN HORSES, 
			SG BESI, KUALA LUMPUR 
Tarikh/Date 	: 	08/09/98 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 
			COMMONWEALTH GAMES FEDERATION
			(CGF) GENERAL ASSEMBLY 



        The  Kuala Lumpur 98 -- XVI Commonwealth Games is just
  days  away.   Since I last spoke to all of you in  December
  1991,  when invited Commonwealth Games Associations  (CGAs)
  visited   Kuala   Lumpur  to  review  our  facilities   and
  capabilities  to  host  a  Commonwealth  Games,  much   has
  happened.  In July in Barcelona, you voted for us  to  host
  the  XVI  Commonwealth Games.  From then on we  have  taken
  every  possible  step to make our hosting of  the  Games  a
  success.
  
  2.     Now  you  can  see  for  yourselves  the  effort  of
  developing  what  was then a large piece  of  vacant  land,
  into a full-fledged sports complex and I hope you will  all
  agree  that the Malaysian Government and people have  tried
  to keep the promises we had made.
  
  3.    Many  of  you, especially the Executive  Board,  have
  paid  us  several visits and helped us with your invaluable
  advice  about organising international games. For this,  we
  extend  a  big 'thank you', not just for your  support  but
  for the fact that most of you have become close friends  in
  the spirit of the 'friendly games'.
  
  4.    We in Malaysia, welcome all of you here for the Kuala
  Lumpur  98  Games.  We may not receive any  medals  but  we
  have achieved many firsts.  This Commonwealth Games is  the
  first  ever  held in Asia, the first to be  opened  by  the
  constitutional   monarch  of  a  non-British   Commonwealth
  country,  the first to feature team sports, and  the  first
  games  to receive unprecedented Government support at every
  level.  But that is not all.
  
  5.    The  Kuala  Lumpur 98 is also the first  to  use  the
  latest  information technology for the  games  and  results
  management systems.  It is also the first to set up a  host
  news  agency for the organisation of a sporting  event  and
  in  the  history  of Commonwealth Games, and  Kuala  Lumpur
  makes  its  mark as the first games with 100  percent  turn
  out,  including  a  new comrade in the  Commonwealth  Games
  Association, Kiribati.
  
  6.    Ironically,  although  we may  achieve  many  firsts,
  Kuala Lumpur 98 happens to be the last great games of  this
  millennium.
  
  7.    I  assure  all  of  you  that Malaysian  hospitality,
  warmth  and  beauty  will add colour to the  multi-cultural
  and multi-religious surroundings in the next few weeks.  We
  are  sure that the Malaysian spirit of tolerance and racial
  harmony  will also prevail among the officials and athletes
  of many races and countries participating in this Games.
  
  8.    We are sorry that negative reports about Malaysia and
  the  Games we have organised still persist.  But all of you
  present  here  will have the opportunity to  ascertain  for
  yourselves  the  truth  of the situation.   Despite  losing
  several  hundred  billions  of  US  Dollars  due   to   the
  speculations  by currency traders and stock market  players
  we  have completed all the facilities and preparations  for
  the  Commonwealth Games.  It is a measure of our commitment
  to   the  Games  and  our  seriousness  about  keeping  our
  promises.  We hope that the presence of so many people  who
  would  otherwise  not visit Malaysia will help  to  correct
  the  image  of Malaysia that has been painted by  the  less
  friendly  of the international media.  We hope that  having
  come  from  so far away our guests will take  time  off  to
  visit  other  parts of the country or at least other  parts
  of the city of Kuala Lumpur beyond the Games Village.
  
  9.    The Games is of course not just about winning medals,
  even  though major world records are expected to be  broken
  here. Victory comes  in many ways, transcending social  and
  ethnic  barriers.  Victory for Malaysia would be  to  carry
  our  good  name and to sustain sweet memories  of  all  our
  foreign  guests  who  come  to witness  this,  the  biggest
  sporting event we have ever hosted.
  
  10.   Although sports today is seriously about winning  and
  national  pride, I do hope that the old so-called "sporting
  spirit"   will  still  permeate  the  games.   Winning   is
  important  of course but the camaraderie and the spirit  of
  friendly  competition should still be valued.  In  a  world
  so  full  of bitterness and conflicts we really don't  need
  to bring these into the playing fields as well.
  
  11.   I  am  most happy that members of the CGAs, who  have
  never  taken part in past Commonwealth Games, have  decided
  to  participate  even  if it means sending  less  than  ten
  sportsmen  to  represent their country.  Kuala  Lumpur  '98
  welcomes all of you and we will cheer for you all the way.
  
  12.   I  welcome all of you again to Kuala Lumpur with  the
  hope that you will see the best Games ever!
  
  13.    I   now   have  pleasure  in  declaring   open   the
  Commonwealth Games Federation Assembly 1998.
  
       Thank you very much and 'Selamat Datang'.   

 
 



 









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