RECSAM 50th Anniversary Coffee Table Book

7 SEAMEO RECSAM – Its Founding Glory 1 The former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Hussein Onn who was then the Education Minister of fi ciating the laying of the foundation stone on 9 September 1971 Mr. Chin Pin Seng (right) with an of fi cial at the site of the present International House The birth of a regional centre Many stages had to be surmounted in order to put RECSAM on a proper footing to carry out its mission statement. These entailed the preparation of the required legal documentations and acquisition of curriculum materials, equipment and library resources, in preparation for SEAMEO RECSAM to open its doors to regional participants in July 1970. In between all the on-going infrastructural developments, December 1971 saw SEAMEO and the Government of Malaysia of fi cially signing the document that legalised the privileges and immunities, which gave RECSAM the status it enjoys. Phase 1 of RECSAM’s development consisted of two hostel blocks, a dining hall, of fi ce accommodation, six classrooms and staff quarters. These were completed in June 1972 at a cost of USD485,985. The First Enabling Instrument of RECSAM that detailed the role of the Governing Board and the Centre was approved and adopted by the Council at the 7 th Ministerial Conference in Vientiane, Laos in January 1972. The Governing Board Members of the SEAMEO Centres were represented by the respective Senior Of fi cials of the SEAMEO Ministries of Education. When RECSAM was completed with up-to-date facilities, a culmination of excitement and assiduous preparation