ISLAMABAD: Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim will arrive in Pakistan on a three-day trip to the South Asian country today.
The Malaysian PM is visiting Pakistan at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Ministers, and top officials. During the trip, he will hold meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The two sides will also discuss a wide-ranging agenda to further strengthen Pakistan-Malaysia relations in diverse sectors including connectivity, trade, agriculture, energy, tourism, halal industry, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts. The two sides will also discuss regional and global developments.
Pakistan and Malaysia Relations
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 Ties
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 and Education
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. There are about 160,000 Pakistani citizens residing in Malaysia, belonging to different walks of life.
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.
