MELAKA: According to New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, education has become a significant factor in fostering relations between New Zealand and Malaysia. She mentioned that the relationship traces its roots back to the 1940s when the New Zealand Defence Force offered support to Malaysia’s defense during the Emergency and Konfrontasi. Subsequently, Malaysian students began going to New Zealand through the Colombo Plan in the 1950s. Dame Cindy Kiro expressed in her speech during a luncheon at Kolej Yayasan Saad in Ayer Keroh that these alumni have made significant contributions to building personal connections between the two countries, having taken up roles in various fields such as business, science, government, and academia.
Several notable figures attended the event, including her husband Dr. Richard Davies, state Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security Committee chairman Dr. Muhamad Akmal Saleh, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia Pam Dunn, Malaysian High Commissioner to New Zealand Mazita Marzuki, KYS Education Group founder Tan Sri Halim Saad, and KYS Business School president Datuk Kamaruddin Awang.
Dame Cindy Kiro highlighted that Malaysia continues to be a significant source of international students for New Zealand, including those on Malaysian government scholarships. She also shared her personal experience, emphasizing the transformative power of education in her life and the countless opportunities it has provided. While her Ph.D. focused on social policy, she noted that her Master’s degree was in business. Dame Cindy Kiro encouraged all students, regardless of their backgrounds, to seize their time in education and make the most of it. She underscored the importance of maintaining strong relations between the two governments and highlighted the value of professional exchanges in strengthening this bond.
Dame Cindy Kiro arrived in Kuala Lumpur for her first-ever visit to Malaysia and the South-East Asian region since assuming office on October 21, 2021. The state visit was extended as an invitation from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
