Objectives of MTCP

Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme             The history of the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP) dates as far back as the First Commonwealth Heads of States (CHOGM) meeting in Sydney in February 1978, where the idea was first conceived.  The MTCP was officially launched on 7 September 1980 at the Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting in New Delhi, India, to signify Malaysia’s commitment to South-South cooperation, in particular Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC). In line with the spirit of South-South cooperation, the MTCP, which is a bilateral technical cooperation programme, shares development experiences with other developing countries.  This “prosper-thy-neighbour” philosophy is the underlying basis for the MTCP.  The Programme was first formulated based on the belief that the development of a country depends on the quality of its human resources.  The programme provides various forms of technical cooperation in areas where Malaysia has the experience and expertise. The MTCP emphasizes the development of human resources through the provision of training in various areas which are essential for a country’s development such as public administration, agriculture, poverty alleviation, investment promotion, ICT, banking and English language.       The Economic Planning Unit, which is the national focal point for all technical cooperation, is responsible for the administration and coordination of MTCP activities.  Since its inception, the MTCP has expanded in terms of its scope and coverage with the emphasis on the exchange of development experience.  More than 2,000 participants from 138 member countries come to Malaysia annually under the MTCP.  Currently the MTCP has a membership of about 19, 687 (as of September 2008) alumni worldwide.  About 150 short-term specialized courses are offered by the 46 MTCP training institutions, many of which are centres of excellence for training, with the aim of building human capital in other developing countries.
Objectives of MTCP       The objectives of MTCP are:
i	To share development experience with other countries;
ii	To strengthen bilateral relations between Malaysia and other developing countries;
iii	To promote South-South Cooperation; and
iv	To promote technical cooperation among developing countries.
Initiative for ASEAN Integration             In line with Malaysia’s foreign policy on promoting regional economic integration, Malaysia strongly supports the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) adopted by ASEAN leaders in 2002 for a 6-year period until 2008.  The IAI is a policy framework, which aims to narrow the development gap within ASEAN.  The MTCP provides capacity building programmes for the CLMV countries through its short and long term courses as well as projects to address the digital divide and need for technical skills.
Third Country Training Programme (TCTP)             The MTCP also collaborates with international organisations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Economic Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Colombo Plan and Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC) through Third Country Training Programme (TCTP).  These TCTPs are organised through partnerships with several MTCP training institutions.
Contact details: The General Director,  Economic Planning Unit,  Prime Minister's Department,  External Asistance Section,  Block B5 Level 2, Federal Government Administrative Centre,  62502 PUTRAJAYA Telephone : 03 - 8888 2882 / 03 - 8888 2886 / 03 - 8888 2876  Fax : 03 - 8888 3876 Email : mtcp@epu.epu.my