Hun Manet in Malaysia to Boost Relations
Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim received Prime Minister Hun Manet. Photo: Prime Minister Hun Manet / Telegram
- By Teng Yalirozy
- February 27, 2024 10:55 AM
PHNOM PENH – Prime Minister Hun Manet visited Malaysia on Feb. 27, his fifth official visit in his six months of power, hoping to promote cooperation and investment.
Hun Manet was invited by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim to Kuala Lumpur to discuss cooperation on political security, trade and investment, tourism, labor and the halal food industry, according to the Foreign Ministry of Cambodia.
The two prime ministers will also talk about information, communications and digital technology as well as energy security while witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the National Bank of Cambodia and Bank Negara Malaysia on financial innovation and payment systems.
Hun Manet was due to be granted a royal audience by Malaysia's King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar and meet the Senate President as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
China, Vietnam, France and Thailand are the other countries he has visited after taking office in August last year.
In 2019, Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad visited Cambodia, and in 2022, Prime Minister Dato Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob visited the Kingdom. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim also visited Cambodia in 2023.
They talked about economic recovery in the post-pandemic period as well as cooperation.
In 1957, Cambodia became one of the first nations to establish diplomatic relations with Malaysia. In 2023, Cambodia became Malaysia's 9th largest trading partner in ASEAN, with trade worth about $6 billion and Malaysian companies investing in 162 projects.
Malaysia is also one of the destinations for Cambodia’s workers. According to CENTRAL, about 40,000 legal and illegal workers work there.
Last year, Cambodia and Malaysia signed two MoUs to improve cooperation on labor issues and workers’ migration.
In 2015, Cambodia and Malaysia signed a MoU on domestic and general workers, but Cambodian recruitment agencies delayed hiring until 2017. Hun Sen sought revision in 2020.
Both countries are hoping to better the cooperation and address the issues facing the two countries and promote interest in the region.
