political cover. fortunately, the vast majority of southeast asian muslims are peaceful and moderate in their beliefs. the problem therefore lies in dealing with the extremist elements in a way which does not alienate the majority of peaceful muslims. this calls for deft political handling. southeast asian governments are already taking action. in malaysia, with a muslim majority, the government has acted with despatch, arresting members of extremist groups and rooting out their organisations. the malaysian government also controls the outflow of malaysian students studying in madrasahs in pakistan, where they may pick up extremist ideas. in singapore, with a sizeable muslim minority, the government has arrested extremists belonging to the jemaah islamiyah group, and severely disrupted their operations. we have gone beyond security actions and taken pains to explain the problem to the population, so that muslim singaporeans do not feel that they are all under a cloud of suspicion, and the non - muslims do not treat their muslim fellow citizens any differently than before. muslim community leaders have come together to publicly condemn the extremists as doing great harm to the muslim community. their clear and unequivocal collective stand has been enormously helpful in maintaining confidence and avoiding a rupture in racial and religious harmony. in indonesia, where 90 % of the population is muslim, the government has been extremely circumspect in acknowledging and dealing with the problem. the extremist groups have skilfully used religious and nationalist sentiments to garner political support and protect themselves against arrest. however, the bali bombing has changed the situation. president megawati has promulgated tough anti - terrorist decrees, including powers to detain suspected terrorists. the indonesian government has arrested abu bakar ba ’ asyir, who is the emir, or leader, of the jemaah islamiyah group, who had till now defied the indonesian authorities to act against him. government action in the aftermath of the bali bombings has won the strong backing of key local institutions and the indonesian population. parliamentary leaders concurred with the passing of the anti - terrorism decrees, and the leaders of the two largest muslim groups in indonesia, the nahdlatul ulama and muhammadiyah, have also voiced their support. the people of indonesia know that if the militants succeed, not only will international confidence plummet and economic progress grind to a halt, but their country will be torn asunder. southeast asian governments

##s guide. this is indeed, in line with imf ’ s and mefmi ’ s mandate of imparting hands - on skills. i therefore, expect the course to bring together information on key statistical activities currently undertaken by the statistical organizations in our respective countries and to identify what more can be done to further improve the quality and timely availability of statistics in this area. may i urge you all to make the most out of this rare opportunity so that when you return to your respective institutions, you can take the lead in ensuring that our region benefits fully from this invaluable initiative. this, however, can only be realized through individual commitment, free exchange of ideas, sharing of experiences and a good sense of openmindedness among all participants. it is also my hope that strong networking links will emerge out of this course to foster a longrun exchange of ideas and experiences among professionals in the region. once we have the correct classification of data, then we can open another chapter of how to use it in policy making. this will also inform us on how to target the diaspora to channel investments in specific areas – like diaspora bonds. as i conclude, i appeal to you to take some time out of your densely packed schedule to enjoy the hospitality of nairobi. freely explore the boundless beauty of our country, sample local cuisine and explore the attractive tourism products on offer. it is now my singular honour to declare this course officially open, and i wish you fruitful discussions and a memorable stay in nairobi. i thank you all for your attention. bis central bankers ’ speeches