PM Mahathir launches book
to mark ASEAN's 30th year

With all the eight other ASEAN Leaders in attendance, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohammad launched last month a pictorial book, "ASEAN: One Region, One Vision" to commemorate the Association's 30th Anniversary.

At the launching, which took place during the Second Informal Summit of ASEAN, the Malaysian Prime Minister and the other ASEAN Leaders were each presented a copy of the book of some 200 pages and 300 photographs that presents ASEAN's history, its development and progress, its peoples, cultures and ways of life.

Compiled by Rosli Hunnin, photo chief of Bernama, the Malaysian national news agency, and edited by Bernama featur4es and foreign news editor Kuah Guan Oo, the book features a candid interview with former Thai Foreign Minister Dr. Thanat Khoman, one of the signatories to the Bangkok Declaration, ASEAN's founding document.

The Thai elder statesman recounted how ASEAN was actually set up and presented his perceptions and hopes for the Association.

The book also contains interviews with some of today's ASEAN Leaders, including Dr. Mahathir, President Fidel V. Ramos of the Philippines and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore on their assessment of the strength and weaknesses of ASEAN and the future direction of the Association.