Najib deeply touched by video clip on his late father

A short video clip presentation showing the commitment of his father the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein towards ASEAN and New Zealand relations, left Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak deeply touched at the ASEAN-New Zealand 40th Anniversary Commemorative Summit here Sunday.

The New Zealand-produced video clip in black-and-white was on Tun Abdul Razak, Malaysia's second prime minister (1970-1976), attending regional and state meetings related to ASEAN and New Zealand.

Najib watched the video proudly in recalling his father's contributions before delivering his opening remarks at the summit in the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key.

"I wish to thank Prime Minister Key for the video presentation which showed important milestones in ASEAN-New Zealand relations," he said at the beginning of his speech.

Najib pointed out that now it had been four decades of official relations between ASEAN and New Zealand.

"Since 1975, we have witnessed our partnership being constantly strengthened and enhanced through various initiatives and efforts from both sides," he said while acknowleging that the presence of Key in Malaysia's capital for the summit signified the importance given by New Zealand to its relations with ASEAN.

Najib stressed that the summit would build a new strategic direction to their partnership, complementing ASEAN's focus on strengthening regional integration through the ASEAN Community.

Before concluding his remarks, Najib took the opportunity to congratulate New Zealand for winning the Rugby World Cup after beating arch rivals Australia 34-17 recently (Oct 31).