PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia—It is time for the Philippines and Malaysia to examine their relationship and refocus their bilateral efforts, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said.
President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are welcomed by Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Istana Negara (National Palace) here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on July 26, 2023. (Photo from Bongbong Marcos)
This was stated by Marcos during his meeting with Malaysia’s King Al-Sultan Abdullah and Queen Azizah on Wednesday, July 26, stressing that it is the most important aspect of his three-day visit in the country.
“It is time for us to really examine those relationship and restrengthen those relationship and that, for me, is the most important aspect of this visit that I have made to Kuala Lumpur, to Malaysia," Marcos said.
“I believe that it is the way for us to refocus our efforts together to mutually beneficial initiatives for our two countries and to see how we can help one another as we face the post-pandemic future,” Marcos added.
The President stressed that the post-pandemic situation is a very different road that the two nations now face, compared to the pre-pandemic times.
He added that their memberships in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN and in the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) continues to strengthen their relationship as they come back and start to emerge from the difficult period in the last two and a half years of the pandemic.
The Chief Executive further said that the two countries must recreate and transform themselves to be competitive amid new challenges.
“We will play a very large part in that transformation. And that transformation is going to strengthen and made more stable by this partnership that we make with each other,” he said.
“And so, it becomes more and more important for me that these partnerships we will foster on a cultural level and the people-to-people (diplomacy) now continue to be expanded and to gain stature in the way that we promote that relationship between our two countries,” he added.
PH-Malaysia ties crucial to ASEAN, world
Marcos also pointed out that the partnership of both countries is important not only to Malaysia, the Philippines, and the ASEAN but also to the rest of the world.
"Whatever beginnings they have made, they all proved to be of importance to the continuing relationship between Malaysia and the Philippines," said Marcos.
During the meeting with the Malaysian King, the President was accorded a State Welcome Ceremony, including a 21-gun salute, upon his arrival at Istana Negara (Malaysia’s National Palace) on Wednesday morning.
He was personally welcomed by the King and Queen of Malaysia, as well as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The President arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday afternoon for a state visit that includes meeting the Malaysian King, government officials, and business leaders with the goal of strengthening the relationship of the Philippines and Malaysia.
READ MORE: Marcos arrives in Malaysia for state visit