Dr Rais Yatim appointed new Secretary-General of Commonwealth

Singapore, June 9 (UNI) The Malaysian government has nominated Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Dr Rais Yatim as the new secretary-general of the Commonwealth, according to Malaysian national news agency Bernama.

It cited a statement from the Foreign Ministry as saying that the nomination was made based on Dr Rais' vast experience and involvement in the international arena.

Mr Rais, who has had wide experience in the legal field including international law, was appointed Foreign Minister in 1986, Bernama said in a report from Kuala Lumpur today.

He obtained his LLB (Hons) degree in Law from Singapore University in 1973 and his PhD in Civil Law, Constitutional Law and Human Rights from London University in 1994.

The statement said the election of the new Commonwealth secretary- general will be held at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kampala, Uganda from November 23-25.

The current Commonwealth secretary-general Don McKinnon will end his term on March 31, 2008. There is a general understanding that the next secretary-general should come from Asia, according to the Bernama report.

UNI