London, Jan 20- Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will arrive in London Monday for a three-day working visit, Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Datuk Ahmad Rasidi Hazizi announced here Sunday.
He said the visit was organised for Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister, to attend the Education World Forum (EWF) 2014 here.
Speaking to Malaysian reporters here Sunday, ahead of the deputy prime minister’s arrival on Monday, Ahmad Rasidi said the EWF 2014 is the largest gathering of education and skills ministers in the world.
The EWF was first hosted in 2004 and the number of representatives had been increasing each year, he said.
Ninety-seven ministers will be attending the 11th EWF to be held at two venues — the Westminster Conference Centre as well as the Excel Exhibition and Conference Centre, London. Some 100 countries will be represented.
Muhyiddin last visited the UK from Sept 8 to 12 last year where he visited the Westminster Kingsway College and hosted the ‘Merdeka Forum’ for fellow Malaysians.
Besides EWF 2014, Muhyiddin would also be attending a dinner with the United Kingdom and Eire (Ireland) Council (UKEC) Executive Council 2013/2014 on Monday.
He would also attend a breakfast meeting with the United Kingdom Umno Club and a briefing on the Cambridge English Language Assessment Preliminary Report as well as visit the Imperial College.
Rasidi said it was important for Malaysia to be represented at the forum, to be held over two days from Monday, as it provided a platform for education ministers to discuss the vision for the year 2015 as it was a landmark year for the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.
He said Muhyiddin and Malaysia’s attendance at the forum was also an opportunity for Malaysia to reflect on its plans and expectations for change and development in policy and practice in education.
Rasidi said the deputy prime minister would also hold informal discussions with UKEC or United Kingdom and Eire (Ireland) Council of Malaysian students, the umbrella body for Malaysian students societies across Britain and Ireland.
He said there were currently 15,000 Malaysian students studying in the UK. On Muhyiddin’s breakfast meeting with the Umno Club scheduled to be held on Tuesday (Jan 21), Ahmad Rasidi said it would provide the opportunity for members of the club to discuss the future activities and challenges faced by the club. The deputy prime minister is scheduled to return home on Jan 22.
– Bernama
