By Abdul Muin Abdul Majid, Bernama
Dakar : Senate President Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh is in the Senegalese capital Dakar to officially hand over the chairmanship of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to this western Africa country on behalf of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
He was welcomed upon arrival by Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Rastam Mohd Isa, Malaysian ambassador to Senegal Jamaiyah M. Yusuf and other Malaysian officials.
Malaysia will be passing the baton at the opening ceremony of the 11th OIC Summit beginning Thursday at the Meridien President hotel here, after holding the chairmanship of the 57-member grouping since October 2003.
During the conference, Malaysia is expected to present a report on efforts made for Muslims to face the challenges in the 21st century, especially in economic capabilities and capacities.
OIC foreign ministers huddled over the past two days to examine, among others, draft agendas, work plans for the heads of state and government as well as the draft final communique and the Dakar Declaration.
The revision of the OIC charter takes centre stage at the Dakar OIC meeting as well as the implementation of the grouping’s 10-Year Plan of Action, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, political, economic, cultural, social and humanitarian affairs and issues relating to information, science and technology.
The OIC was officially launched in 1972 with the adoption of its charter in Jeddah where the grouping is headquartered. Meanwhile, the residents of Dakar are rejoicing over the completion of road projects designed within the framework of the OIC summit which Senegal is hosting for the second time, the first being in December 1991.
One of them is a coastal road, dubbed “the most beautiful” in Africa, which makes it easier for OIC delegates and residents alike to move around.
The organisers have rented a floating hotel called “Musica” docked at the Dakar port a few kilometres from the conference venue, to house some of the delegates and members of the media present in the city for the summit.