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Synopsis :

Speakers in this forum on regional cooperation include Dr Tan Chee Koon from the Gerakan Party in Malaysia, Mr Goh Hock Guan from Malaysia's Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Mr George Thompson, Head of the Political Studies Centre in Singapore. They answer questions on regional cooperation and note that although both the Gerakan and the DAP support merger between Singapore and Malaysia, the political realities at present suggest that this is not attainable. However, there is no reason why the two countries should not get together to cooperate in other areas like education, defence, trade and cultural exchanges. In fact, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak will meet in Canberra to discuss common defence problems. The DAP and Gerakan have no plans to merge in Malaysia  Touching on ASEAN, they feel that despite problems like the Philippine claim to Sabah, regional cooperation can be enhanced through student exchanges between universities.  Southeast Asia should show the world that we are a family of nations with common interests which we intend to pursue with determination. On how the policies of China will affect regional cooperation in Southeast Asia, the speakers feel that this will depend on Peking's policies.  China is at present working on its own potential. Unity in Southeast Asia will bring countries here closer to China because of geographical proximity.They also note that  China appears to be less belligerent than Russia.