ISLAMABAD: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is to visit Pakistan in the first week of October, Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Pakistan said.
This was stated by High Commissioner Dato’ Mohammad Azhar Mazlan during a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday. PM Anwar Ibrahim will be accompanied by a high-level delegation during the trip. This will be the first trip by a Malaysian PM to Pakistan in five years, with the last trip by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad in March 2019.
The envoy said that several agreements as well as memorandums of understanding (MoUs) are likely to be inked between the two nations during the trip.The Ambassador said that both nations have also inked Free Trade Agreement (Malaysia Pakistan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) as well as various other MoUs and Agreements across diverse domains.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will hold talks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other top Pakistani leaders during his stay in Islamabad.
The discussions will focus on enhancing bilateral investment and trade. The two sides are also likely to address the issue of Palestine, as both Pakistan and Malaysia are strong advocates of the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The visit also underscores the growing relations between Malaysia and Pakistan, particularly in areas of economic cooperation and trade.
The visit also underscores the growing relations between Malaysia and Pakistan, particularly in areas of economic cooperation and trade.
Pakistan and Malaysia Ties
Malaysia and Pakistan have historically enjoyed close and cordial ties since long. Pakistan was one of the first nations to establish diplomatic ties with Malaysia in 1957. Similarly, Pakistan Justice Abdul Hamid played a historical role in drafting Malaysia’s constitution as part of the Reid Commission.
Ever since, the two nations have come a long way in consolidating ties in diverse areas, and bilateral ties have grown from strength to strength across various sectors including trade and economy, education manpower exports, and cooperation in international arena, and further demonstrated by frequent exchange of high-level visits.
The two nations mostly share similar perspectives on world issues and often take coordinated stances on issues of mutual concern and interest at international forums including United Nations (UN), OIC, NAM and D-8.
Trade Relations
Malaysia and Pakistan have established several cooperation mechanisms at economic, political, and defence levels. Bilateral trade has gained momentum over the last few years and was reported at US$ 1.5 billion in 2023-24. Pakistan’s main exports to Malaysia include condensate oil, rice, potatoes, onions, corn, home textile, seafood, and meat, whereas major imports include palm oil, its products, LNG, petroleum, laptops, nonwoven wadding, and fiber board.
Tourism
Tourism between both nations has also gained momentum over the last few years and Malaysia ranks amongst the top tourist source countries to Pakistan. Tourists from Malaysia take keen interest in exploring the pleasing landscapes and the rich cultural heritage of Pakistan.
Pakistan has also gained reputation amongst Sikh communities and Malaysian Buddhist as a major destination for religious tourism.
Education
There are about 160,000 Pakistani citizens residing in Malaysia, belonging to different walks of life. Similarly, more than 3800 Pakistani students are also studying in higher education institutes in Malaysia, making Pakistan the 3rd major source of international students in Malaysia. Pakistan is also one of the main workforce source nations for Malaysia in different key sectors including construction, plantation, agriculture, manufacturing, and services etc.
