CALD ends Vision Mission Workshop in Penang

(August 28, 2004/ Penang, Malaysia) The Council of Asian Liberals & Democrats finished today its Vision Mission Workshop in Penang, Malaysia with CALD member political parties expressing renewed confidence in a stronger and more relevant organization.

Attending the workshop were the former chairs of the CALD Sam Rainsy, MP, of the Sam Rainsy Party and Education Secretary-designate Florencio Abad of the Liberal Party of the Philippines. Also present was the incumbent Secretary General, Bi-Khim Hsiao, MP, of the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan. Other participants included Dr. Rajiva Wijesinha, President of the Liberal Party of Sri Lanka and formerly acting CALD Chair; Senator S. Vijayaratnman of the Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia; Tarradon Piamphongsant of the Democrat Party of Thailand; David Taw of the National Council of the Union of Burma; Ms. Samura Tioulong of SRP-Cambodia; Education Undersecretary Jose Luis Martin Gascon of LP Phils.; and Gandhi Ambalam of  Singapore Democratic Party. The Friedrich Naumann Foundation was represented by Mr. Uwe Johannen, Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia, Dr. Ronald Meinardus, Manila resident representative and Dr. Alan Smith

The workshop was formally opened by H.E. Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Kun, Chief Minister of the State ofPenang. Secretary Abad gave a brief talk on CALD’s contributions to liberal democracy in the region while CALD Executive Director gave an overview of CALD’s programmatic developments in the last ten years.   Resource persons were Graham Watson, MEP, leader of the European Liberal Democratic Reform Party Group (ELDR) and Dr. Barun Mitra of India’s Liberty Institute who talked on the key political and economic developments, respectively. The workshop was facilitated by Mr. Mario Taguiwalao, president of the Philippine liberal think tank, the National Institute for Policy Studies.

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