http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2007/junio/vier29/state-of-melaka-interested.html
State of Melaka interested in joint enterprise with Cuba in biotechnology . They want to produce anti-cancer therapeutic vaccines and other Cuban-developed biopharmaceuticals POR LILLIAM RIERA -de Granma Internacional- DATUK Seri Haji Mohd Ali Bin Mohd Rustam, chief minister of the state of Melaka in Malaysia, in comments to Granma International, expressed interest in creating a joint enterprise in biotechnology with Cuba. Mohd Rustam was visiting Havana as part of a delegation led by Tun Datuk Seri Utama Mohd Khalil Yaakob, governor of Melaka. The minister said that they would like to carry out joint research and, via technology transfer, to produce therapeutic vaccines in Malaysia for treating cancer (lung, breast and colon), as well as other biopharmaceuticals developed in Cuban scientific institutions. The anti-cancer vaccines, produced from elements taken from tumors, are not aimed at curing patients, but at keeping their neoplasia under control for long periods of time. Their purpose is to stimulate and "educate" the immune system of those who have the disease, so that malignant cells are detected and destroyed without producing the disagreeable secondary effects caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The minister praised the development attained in biotechnology by Cuba, and described the island's specialists as "very good and competent," above all with respect to cancer research. During the presentation of a seminar on opportunities and potential areas of bilateral cooperation, he noted that Melaka has its own biotechnology institute, which may offer contracts for research and cooperation in research and development; they have facilities for testing and qualified personnel, among other positive elements. The important delegation visited the Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Center in the west Havana scientific complex, where they received detailed information from executives of Heber Biotec S.A., the Cuban enterprise that distributes that institution's products in more than 52 countries. A SECOND LOAN FROM MALAYSIA FOR ACQUIRING COMPUTERS Mohd Rustam also told Granma International that the Malaysian government had agreed to grant Cuba a second loan of $10 million for the purpose of acquiring computers in that South East Asian nation. He noted that a previous loan had been provided to Cuba for the same amount and for the same purpose. In a meeting with Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, minister of informatics and communications, Melaka Governor Khalil Yaakob affirmed that the ties of cooperation can be strengthened in information technology and communication. Khalil Yaakob noted that Melaka is one of Malaysia's most prosperous regions, with an advantageous economic situation due to its general development and in that area in particular, because of its placement on the fiber optic highway between the Pacific Basin and Western Europe, among other features that make it competitive. Some information provided during the Havana seminar are illustrative: Melaka maintains sustainable economic growth, with an annual average of 5.8%; the poverty rate has decreased from 5.7% in 1999 to 1.8% in 2004; they have attained full employment, according to the International Labor Organization, and have been able to keep inflation under control, with an average below 2.4%. Located between Kuala Lumpur to the north and Singapore to the south, Melaka gave Malaysia its first sultanate and became the center of Malaysian-Islamic culture and civilization. The state was founded by Parameswara, prince of Sumatra, in the late 14th century. During the 15th, Melaka became a famous port, known as the Venice of the Orient. It was through Melaka that Malaysia's history began as a multiracial nation of many customs and traditions, where diverse religions and languages coexist in harmony. This year it is celebrating its 50th anniversary of independence from Britain. Malaysia, which has passed from a supply economy to a productive one, holds 19th place among the nations with the most trade in the world. Over the past year, its economic growth was 5.95%, and it has had full employment in the last six years (in 2006, the unemployment rate was 3.3%). Very few Malaysians live below the poverty line (in 2004, less than six of every 100 households were poor). Investments in Melaka could further boost trade between Cuba and Malaysia, which totaled $2.7 million in 2006, according to information provided to this newspaper on opportunities and potential areas of bilateral cooperation.
