World scout movement's headquarters to relocate to KL next year

KAJANG: The headquarters of the World Organisation of the Scout Movement (WOSM) in Geneva, Switzerland will be relocating to Kuala Lumpur next year.

National scout chief, Datuk Seri Dr Shafie Mohd Salleh said the decision was unanimously agreed by the 186 member countries worldwide that want the WOSM to be based in the Asia-Pacific region.

"We discussed this matter at the WOSM conference in Brazil three years ago and Malaysia has been selected. Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and Indonesia were also keen," he told reporters after presenting the Baden-Powell Award to 21 recipients, here Sunday.

An announcement of the relocation will be made in Parliament in February next year by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also president of the Malaysian Scout Movement.

Shafie said the WOSM headquarters would be located in Brickfields and renovation works were already underway.

He hoped the relocation would spur more leaders and Malaysians to join the Malaysia Scout Movement. -Bernama