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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos on Malaysia visit: We have done more than expected

Marcos on Malaysia visit: We have done more than expected

Published Jul 27, 2023 01:43 pm
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has done more than what he expected during his roughly three-day state visit in Malaysia. President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Ali Vicoy)
Carrying $285-million in investment pledges from Malaysian investors, Marcos showed confidence that he was able to achieve his goals in going to Kuala Lumpur. "I'm happy to be able to say that we have actually done more than we expected we would in the very short time that we are here but that's why we undertake these trips to try and foster those new expanding relationships," Marcos told reporters in his post-state visit press briefing in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, July 27. Embarking on the trip, the President said he had a "special purpose" which was to revitalize the dealings with Malaysia. He shared that the "friendship" he has with the leaders of Malaysia, including Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah, gave the Philippines a "leg up" in carrying out discussions on trade and other exchanges. "And we for our part in the Philippines, want that our one million or so Filipinos who are living and working here in Malaysia are in a good place, or are in a comfortable situation where they are rewarded for their hard work," Marcos said.

Investments and other gains

The series of business meetings Marcos had before concluding his trip was able to give the Philippines a $285-million investment pledges, including a $20-million investment from a Malaysian dairy firm Farm Fresh Berhad which intends to boost milk production in the country. He was also able to secure the commitment of the Malaysian government in exploring new pacts on Halal industry and Islamic banking. His Malaysian counterpart has committed to train Filipino personnel to improved their capabilities in these new emerging areas of collaboration. The Malaysian side also reaffirmed their commitment to closely coordinate efforts to build capacity in the Bangsamoro Autonomous region. Marcos also mentioned a $3-billion new agreement on railway system between a private company and the Philippines. The memorandum of agreement on this investment, he said, have been finalized and promises to generate tens of thousands of jobs for Filipinos.

Issues raised

Apart from the trip being a business-oriented visit, Marcos bared that he and the Malaysian leaders were able to touch on issues such as the repatriation of Filipinos serving sentence in the foreign country, a mention of the Sabah issue, and the interest on the establishment of Maharlika Investment Fund. On Filipinos serving sentence in Malaysia, Marcos said they are considering to repatriate them, however, it will be further discussed during the convening of the Joint Commission Meeting in October. The issue on Sabah, the President said, was mentioned but it was not something the leaders from both sides can decide on in a brief discussion. "We have to do something much much larger and much more involved than just a quick discussion of 5 to 10 minute discussion with the leader. So, the consensus is that we just talk about everything else. We talk about trade, the help that Malaysia has been providing for the development of the BARMM, we talk about the again people to people side of our relationship," he said.

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