After more than a decade, the Philippines and Malaysia reconvened for the 8th Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) to discuss the countries’ bilateral relations and issues that are of mutual interest.
(From left) Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan and Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo shake hands during their meeting last July 1, 2024. (DFA photo)
In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo flew to Kuala Lumpur to attend the meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 16, upon the invitation of Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Dato' Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan.
“The 8th PH-MY JCM will provide a valuable opportunity to review the progress of bilateral cooperation since the last JCM was conducted in Manila in 2011,” DFA said.
The two officials also discussed, among others, matters of mutual interests to the Philippines and Malaysia, as well as to the Southeast Asian region.
According to the DFA, Manalo also attended the diplomatic reception hosted by the Philippines Embassy in Malaysia to celebrate the 60 years of bilateral relations of both countries.
“The reconvening of the JCM manifests the deepening of the friendship between the two countries as well as the expansion of areas of bilateral cooperation, and is an operationalization of one of the commitments discussed between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during the twin high level visits in 2023,” the statement added.
A statement from the Foreign Ministry of Malaysia said that the JCM “has been the highest bilateral mechanism” between Malaysia and the Philippines since its inception in 1993.
The meeting provides a platform for both countries to review their bilateral cooperation that includes trade, agriculture, the halal industry, tourism, and security cooperation.
It also allows for discussions for possible explorations of new cooperations.
According to the Malaysia’s foreign ministry statement, the Philippines was Malaysia’s 17th largest global trading partner and the 5th largest trading partner among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states in 2023.