VERBATIM TEXT

OPENING REMARKS BY

THE HONOURABLE DATO’ SERI ANWAR BIN IBRAHIM

PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

AT THE

SIGNING CEREMONY OF THE ASEAN-FIFA

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Terima kasih, Thank you.

1. Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA and distinguished ASEAN colleagues. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

2. Of course, it’s a short remark to express that ASEAN leaders are totally committed to support football, it’s the people’s game, game of the youth, and it’s a popular sport and it is ASEAN priority in terms of building up that new core of leaders, giving them the exposure, training.

3. And I’m exceptionally thankful to FIFA for giving us the encouragement and support. You have the expertise, you have the experience, and to share this to the young, particularly those poorer segments of our population: the urban youth, those in the rural and heartland, to be able to obtain the same encouragement, advantage and support.

4. So, I’m here to bless the occasion to continue the collaboration between FIFA and ASEAN and the renewal of the signing of MOU between ASEAN FIFA.

Terima kasih. Thank you.