Date                           :          17 February 2008
Time                          :          12.00 noon
Venue                       :          Zen Garden, 15 rue Marbeuf
                                               75008 Paris

Encik Tye Soon Kwai,
Presiden, Malaysian Association in France (MAF),

Tuan-tuan dan Puan-puan yang saya hormati,

Terlebih dahulu, saya ingin mengucapkan ribuan terima kasih kepada Encik Tye Soon Kwai dan ahli-ahli jawatankuasa MAF, kerana telah sudi menjemput saya dan isteri saya ke Majlis Sambutan Perayaan Tahun Baru Cina pada tahun ini.  Pada kesempatan ini, izinkan saya bagi pihak Kedutaan Besar Malaysia untuk mengucapkan Gong Xi Fa Cai dan selamat menyambut “Tahun Tikus” kepada anda semua.

Saya juga ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan tahniah kepada MAF kerana telah sekali lagi berjaya menganjurkan majlis sambutan Tahun Baru Cina untuk tahun ini. 

This is an important tradition in Malaysia and I am so glad to see Malaysians of different faiths and religions meeting together in Paris, and celebrating this event as a happy family.  This is the true spirit of muhibbah, as we all know in Malaysia.

Chinese New Year is yet another occasion for Malaysians to continue to renew their bonds of friendship and solidarity wherever we live.  Last year was an extremely hectic and successful year.  We had numerous activities where many of you were also involved to ensure its success.  Among these activities included the Malaysian community dinner with YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia on 23 October 2007. 

This year, I also look forward to meeting you again during our Family Day event, in conjunction with the King’s birthday in June as well as the Hari Raya Aidilfitri gathering in October 2008. 

Ladies and gentlemen,

The year of the Rat has begun on a very promising and exciting note.  For Malaysians, as we look around the world, we recognize how fortunate and blessed we are as a people and as a nation.  We have certainly made impressive strides in the past 50 years and we should look forward to the future with confidence and deriving strength in our unity as people of different faith, ethnicity and indeed background. 

As you are aware, Malaysia had registered its 10th consecutive year of trade surplus last year, with the RM100.53 billion excess being the second highest ever recorded.  Malaysia's total trade in 2007 also continued its upward trend, growing by 3.7 percent to record RM1.1097 trillion from RM1.0697 trillion in 2006.  The stock markets are doing well and we have been spared the fallout from the subprime crisis in the United States.  While the Malaysian Government remains wary of inflation, we have been cushioned by increased income from petroleum as well as other commodities such as palm oil.

At the same time, the Government is fully aware of the external and internal challenges.  The Government has taken various measures to promote and deepen national unity, growth and prosperity, so that our national mission to become a developed country in 2020 is achieved. 

In order to ensure that all these policies and programmes continue to enjoy popular support, the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is seeking a fresh mandate.  As you all know, there will be general elections on 8th March, following the dissolution of Parliament on 13th February.  I have no doubt in the wisdom of Malaysians in their exercise of their fundamental rights.

Ladies and gentlemen,

As Malaysians living overseas, in particular France, I want to commend and look forward to all of you being model citizens in France so as to enhance the image of Malaysia in France.

May 2008, the year of the Rat, be another successful and prosperous year for all of us here and in Malaysia as well.

Sekian, terima kasih.

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