RECSAM 50th Anniversary Coffee Table Book

12 The interim period was capped by the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding concerning the establishment of RECSAM on 12 June 1969. Signatories were the Minister of Education of Malaysia (representing the Government of Malaysia), the US Ambassador to Malaysia (representing the US Government) and the SEAMES Director (representing SEAMEO). The event set forth in motion the aspirations, obligationsandresponsibilitiesof thethree parties for the smooth implementation of the Centre’s development plans. In January 1969, the Fourth Ministerial Conference of SEAMEO in Jakarta approvedthe fi rst Five-yearDevelopment Plan (July 1970 to June 1975) for which the Steering Committee has provided policy guidelines. The plan was the Centre’s fi rst Permanent Phase of Operation. The Interim period saw the architectural and engineering studies for the proposed new campus of the Centre, acquisition of temporary facilities loaned from the Malayan Teachers’ College (MTC), drafting of pertinent legal documents and acquisition of curriculum materials, equipment and library books in preparation for the permanent phase of the Centre to begin in July 1970. The Centre carried out its fi rst fi ve training courses and three regional seminar-workshops with 96 participants from the SEAMEO Countries. This was an important milestone in regional education development as it was the fi rst time that key teachers and educators from SEAMEO Countries studied and worked together in the spirit of regional cooperation. Y.B. Tan Sri Mohd. Khir Johari, Minister of Education of Malaysia visiting the science lab at the MTC (Malayan Teachers’ College) building attended by RECSAM’s course participants