Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has said that the possibility of member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) developing an economic identity can be realized. This was especially so since the 57 member countries, which make up one-fifth of the world's population, provide 70 percent of the world's energy requirement and 40 percent of the global export of raw materials, Abdullah, who is OIC chairman, said in his address at the Malaysia-Pakistan Business Forum here yesterday. The Malaysian News Agency "Bernama" quoted Badawi as saying that in this aspect, Malaysia and Pakistan can work together to expand trade, investment and other economic links among businessmen of the OIC to strengthen the organization and help uplift the well-being of the "ummah." The two countries should work together to accelerate the conclusion of preferential trading arrangements among OIC member countries in the context of putting into effect the OIC trade preferential system, he said at the forum attended by Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. --MORE 1104 Local Time 0804 GMT
