On behalf of the organizing committee I would like to bid all delegates to 28th Asian Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators a very warm welcome to Malaysia and to the island of Langkawi in particular.

As a departure from our usual practice of organizing conferences of this scale and importance in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, this year’s conference will be held on the resort island of Langkawi. The idea is to provide the delegates with a calm and relaxed environment that is conducive to quality discussions and exchange of ideas, as well providing the delegates with a sneak preview of what our newly established academy has to offer in terms of facilities and services in assuming its role as the proposed regional prisons and correctional service training centre.

The theme for this year’s conference “togetherness in unity” reflects the importance and the growing need of forging closer cooperation among the member nations of APCCA. Each and every participating nation has some unique experience and expertise which they can share with others. The mutual benefits gained from the exchange of knowledge, ideas and experience would be tremendous given the diversity of our backgrounds. My earnest hope is that these benefits could be employed to further enhance our capabilities in developing highly professional and efficient prison and correctional services in support of our respective communities.

To all delegates, I would like to wish you a very fruitful conference. I would also like to invite you to take some time off after the conference to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the island of Langkawi. It is indeed a pleasure having you with us and we hope you would enjoy your stay here as much as we enjoy having you with us.

Kind regards

Datuk Mustafa bin Osman