‘Positive signals’ from M’sia

Published on October 22, 2005 - Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai said yesterday he had received positive signals from Kuala Lumpur and the two countries could look forward to a brighter future following weeks of bickering over the fate of 131 displaced Thai Muslims currently taking refuge in northern Malaysia.

Surakiart would not go into the details of his discussion with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, but he said the two sides agreed not to engage in a war of words through the media.

Surakiart and Wan Mohammad Noor Matha, advisor to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, went to Malaysia to attend the funeral of Abdullah’s wife, Endon Mahmood, as representatives of the government.

Wan Noor told reporters prior to leaving for Malaysia on Thursday that a funeral was not a suitable venue to engage in a substantial dialogue on the Thai Muslims, but the presence of the Thai representatives at the funeral would help pave the way for further discussions. This is Wan Noor’s second visit to the southern neighbour since the war of words broke out between the two sides over the fate of the displaced people.

Wan Noor, an ethnic Malay from the southernmost province of Yala, made an unofficial visit to Malaysia two weeks ago to help break the ice amid growing concerns that the damage would spread beyond diplomatic relations and affect other areas of bilateral ties and cooperation.