Malaysian PM Anwar due in Islamabad and Dhaka from Wednesday (Oct 2) to elevate relations to new heights

DHAKA (Bernama-UNB): Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to make a brief visit to Bangladesh on Friday (Oct 4) to take forward the relations between the two countries to the next level by exploring new areas of cooperation and strengthening the ties in diverse areas, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.

He will be visiting Bangladesh at the invitation of Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, an official said on Monday.

In August this year, Muhammad Yunus invited him to undertake a short visit to Bangladesh as soon as possible to further strengthen the brotherly relationship between the two countries.

“The visit remains confirmed as of today,” a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told UNB, adding that his stay in Dhaka is likely to last a few hours.

Malaysia is the 8th largest investor in Bangladesh, the official mentioned.

“Apart from manpower issues, other ongoing cooperation including potential areas will come up for discussion,” he said.

The Malaysian prime minister will have a bilateral meeting with Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus apart from a few other engagements in Dhaka.

In August, the Malaysian leader made a phone call to his old friend, Muhammad Yunus, to congratulate him personally on his recent appointment as the chief adviser for the Interim government of Bangladesh.

Muhammad Yunus has long-standing good ties with Malaysia.

“Thus, I assured him that Malaysia stands ready to help and support the interim Government in rebuilding and restoring peace and security in Bangladesh,” said the Malaysian PM.

Malaysia is going to be the next chair of Asean from January 2025, and the Rohingya issue will also be discussed, said the Foreign Ministry official.

At least seven Malaysian universities have Yunus Centre, promoting social business ideas he champions and his three-zero concepts.

Malaysian companies, including several owned by its sovereign funds, have invested more than $5 billion in Bangladesh and are now willing to invest more, including in education.

A second Malaysian car manufacturer has signed an agreement with a Chattogram-based company for distributing and assembling cars.

Malaysia said it could be a desired destination for medical tourism, noting that Bangladeshi citizens can receive essential medical treatment in the country at an affordable price.

Anwar will also undertake his first official visit to Pakistan from Oct 2 to 4, which is set to bolster Malaysia-Pakistan ties through strategic discussions on enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry, Wisma Putra, in a statement Monday said the visit is at the invitation of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, marking the first official meeting between the two leaders since Anwar took office in November 2022.

Malaysia’s prime minister will be accorded an official welcoming ceremony, followed by a bilateral meeting with Shehbaz, who will also host an official luncheon in Anwar’s honour.

“The meeting will provide an opportunity for both prime ministers to take stock of existing cooperation and discuss initiatives to further strengthen Malaysia-Pakistan bilateral relations following the elevation of bilateral relations to Strategic Partnership in 2019.

“They are also expected to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern,” said Wisma Putra in the statement. – Bernama-UNB