Beside the mission to strengthen existing relationships between Malaysia and China, the Perak Media and Sports Club managed to elicit interest in Perak from the Chinese. This was accomplished after a brief visit to Beijing recently.
Flyers and booklets on Perak’s touristic destinations were distributed freely to visitors to the Great Wall of China. Datuk Akmar Hisham Mokhles, the Prime Minister’s press secretary and club adviser, could not have been more pleased with the attempt.
“We walked the Great Wall for nearly 4km, as a form of remembrance for the victims of the ill-fated Flight MH370. We’re pleasantly surprised how welcoming the locals were. Many spoke dearly about Malaysia and hoped to visit the country, especially Perak, sometime,” he told Ipoh Echo.
“Malaysia is not a strange place for the locals, as most of them know our country, especially after the MH370 tragedy,” he added.
Club members paid a visit to three mosques in Beijing, including the oldest, Nan Dou Ya, where they donated copies of the Quran and texted Yassin verses. At the Malaysian Embassy they were greeted by the Defence Adviser, First Admiral Zualkafly Ahmad and a group of Malaysian students studying in the Chinese capital.
Zualkafly Ahmad complimented the efforts by the media club in making the trip.
“Our relationship with China has been established since 40 years ago following Tun Razak’s visit in 1975. I hope goodwill between both nations will remain the same or better,” he posited.
The week-long visit had provided club members with a better perspective of bilateral relationships already in existence. It was, by all accounts, a valuable lesson in diplomacy for the Malaysians.
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