Prime Minister’s Office, Putrajaya
July 26, 2023

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya.

Building on the successful visit of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as the first Head of Government to pay an official visit under the Marcos Administration last March, the President conveyed yesterday in his departure statement that his reciprocal trip is an opportune time to harness the potentials of the revitalized relationship between the Philippines and Malaysia.

Through this bilateral meeting with the Malaysian leader, President Marcos Jr. called for new areas of cooperation that can propel the two nations’ partnership in accordance with the agreed priority areas aligned with both of the countries’ economic agenda.

A joint press statement followed their meeting wherein the President conveyed the Philippine and Malaysian governments’ commitment to closely coordinate efforts in building the capacity of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), especially in the sectors of Halal Industry, Islamic Banking and food security.

He expressed appreciation to the Government of Malaysia for sharing its expertise to train Filipino personnel and officials in strengthening their respective capabilities in the increasingly important sectors, as well as conveyed the nation’s gratitude to Malaysia as a whole, for all the help that the country received in its efforts in the Southern part of the Philippines.

The Chief Executive also shared that he and the Malaysian Prime Minister agreed to hold the next Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting (JMC) where their respective governments will have an avenue to discuss priority cooperation in detail, particularly in transnational crimes, agriculture, Halal Industry, Islamic Banking, education, tourism, culture, sports and the digital economy. He noted, however, that both governments will have to undertake the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for this endeavor in the near future.

As they agreed to explore new ventures of cooperation, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said that Malaysia can help on certification concerns relative to the Philippines’ interest in the Halal Industry, but both countries will jointly undertake effective measures in ensuring that this industry can penetrate the Middle East market in particular.

The Prime Minister lauded the recent developments in the Philippine economy post-pandemic under the leadership of President Marcos Jr. and noted the country’s capacity in the business sector.

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