Diamond Jubilee of friendship between Malaysia and Thailand should go on

countries to share the non-living natural resources from the area on a 50:50 basis. It, however, does not extinguish the sovereignty claims by both countries over the area.

Of all our neighbours, Malaysia and Thailand share the longest land border stretching some 640km.

Since Merdeka, leaders of Malaysia and Thailand have been cooperating with one another in combating crimes common to both sides of our common border.

In his memoirs, my uncle and Malaysia’s Founding father Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra AlHaj remembers with deep gratitude how, when he did not have much money, the King of Thailand had personally come to his assistance by giving him a substantial sum of money to be used in our struggle for Merdeka. And, again during the difficult period of communist insurgency and confrontation with Indonesia, Malaysia was literally isolated.

We had, nonetheless, a great friend in His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand and Field Marshall Thanom Kittikachorn, the Thai Premier as well as Thanat Khoman, the Foreign Minister for their hand of friendship.

A few months before Tunku retired as prime minister, a Joint Defence Agreement was signed with Thailand to provide Malaysian troops more freedom of movement in theThai border area.

The Diamond Jubilee of friendship between neighbouring friends should go on, in the words of the famous 1960s American singer, Earl Grant, “till the end of time”. Let us preserve and revere our special relationship with Thailand.