Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will visit Bangladesh at the invitation of Chief Adviser to the interim government Dr. Muhammad Yunus to deepen multilateral relations with the South Asian country.

Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is working on the preparation of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time,  said Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Shameem Ahsan in an interview with the Dazzling Dawn this week.

“I strongly believe that this long pending visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister to Bangladesh will be critical in further strengthening the cordial bilateral relations existing between the two friendly countries,” said  Shameem Ahsan.

The rest part of the interview is given below:

01.  Malaysia has stopped recruitment of Bangladeshi workers since June, 2024. Of late, Malaysia has decided to issue a calling visa. Can you please explain the current situation?

Ans: Malaysian Government halted entry of foreign workers from all source countries after 31 May, 2024. Malaysian Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution earlier explained that the deadline would enable the government to evaluate the effectiveness of the initiatives implemented and accurately assess the need for foreign labour in the country. However, recruitment at Sarawak State, an autonomous state, remained open and we have been receiving demand letters even after the above restriction which remains in force to streamline the manpower recruitment policies from source countries. Recently, Malaysia has started giving quota approval only for the plantation sector. Bangladesh High Commission has received few demand letters for attestation. We remain pro-actively engaged so that the market is fully opened for us in the near future.

02. What is the number of Bangladeshi living in Malaysia? How many Bangladeshis are registered with the high Commission of Bangladesh in Malaysia?

Ans: The Malaysian Government is yet to have a well-structured database of Bangladeshi workers. However, it is assumed that approximately 1.5 million Bangladeshi migrants are working in Malaysia among which some are undocumented nationals. Most of them have proper documents. The Mission is working on launching a data-base on its own.

03. How does the Malaysian government see the scope of working with the new interim government, headed by Nobel Laureate Dr. Mohammad Yunus?

Ans: On 13 August, 2024, Prime Minister of Malaysia  Anwar Ibrahim made a telephone call to  Dr. Muhammad Yunus on his recent appointment as the Chief Adviser to the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Earlier, on 09 August 2024, Prime Minister  Anwar Ibrahim posted a warm congratulatory message for Prof. Yunus in his social media accounts quoting the immortal verses of Tagore's poem "Where the mind is without fear" in which he eulogized the vision and vigour of the youth of the country.

During the phone call on 11 August,2024, Malaysian Prime Minister assured all out support to the interim government of Bangladesh headed by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus. In response, Chief Adviser invited him to visit Bangladesh at an early date and now we are preparing for a visit by the Malaysian Prime Minister  of Malaysia  Anwar Ibrahim. I strongly believe that this long pending visit of the Malaysian Prime Minister to Bangladesh will be critical in further strengthening the cordial bilateral relations existing between the two friendly countries.

It may be mentioned here that Prof. Yunus is also the Chancellor of Albukhari University in Malaysia. Malaysian Prime Minister is a longtime friend of Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus and a great friend of Bangladesh.

04. The Bangladesh economy suffered during recent political turmoil. How do you see the trade between Bangladesh and Malaysia?

Ans: We have significant trade relations with Malaysia. Our two-way trade is around US$ 4 billion. The recent unrest in Bangladesh has undoubtedly had a significant impact on its economy. However, the political and economic stability was restored soon after forming a new interim government led by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus.

The trade relationship between Bangladesh and Malaysia remains strong, though it has faced challenges due to the recent unrest in Bangladesh. However, the long-standing partnership, supported by Malaysia’s demand for Bangladeshi products and Bangladesh’s dependence on Malaysian imports like palm oil and machinery, provides a solid foundation for recovery. Both countries have mutual interests in maintaining and expanding this economic relationship.

Economic diplomacy and ongoing negotiations to explore new avenues for bilateral cooperation also help offset some of the temporary disruptions caused by the unrest. It is notable that, during the January-June, 2024 period the bilateral trade between the two countries was USD 1.53 billion.

Malaysia is currently the 8th largest investor to Bangladesh. A total of 386 Malaysian companies are registered and doing business smoothly in Bangladesh. The total FDI stock of Malaysia in Bangladesh is 856.23 million US$ [December 2023] Bangladesh has further room for Malaysian investors to forge mutually beneficial economic ventures. We have been urging potential investors to invest more in Bangladesh, particularly in the 100 Economic Zones.  Malaysia can also build a dedicated country-specific “Economic Zone” like China, Japan, South Korea and India to take advantage of Bangladesh’s geo-economic position between/among China, India, and ASEAN.

05. Several lakh Bangladeshis go to India, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia to avail themselves of better treatment. Can Malaysia and Bangladesh work on improving health service in Bangladesh?

Ans: Definitely, Bangladesh and Malaysia can work together to improve health services in Bangladesh which will be mutually gainful. KPJ Healthcare Berhad, a leading private healthcare provider in Malaysia, has established a joint venture KPJ Specialist Hospital in Bangladesh. The hospital is located approximately 50 kilometers from Dhaka, Bangladesh. The hospital was opened in 2018 and has a capacity of 250 beds. The hospital is run and operated by KPJ which offers a wide range of medical services, including cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, and neurology. The hospital is staffed by a team of experienced doctors and nurses, many of whom have international experience.

The joint venture is a testament to the strong relationship between Malaysia and Bangladesh. The hospital is expected to play a major role in providing world-class healthcare facilities to the people of Bangladesh by providing a comprehensive, multi-disciplined and focused hospital with Centres of Excellence in major disciplines.

06. FDI has dropped in Malaysia. Do you see new Malaysian investment in Bangladesh in the coming days?

Ans: Malaysia is the 8th largest investor in Bangladesh. Malaysian investment in Bangladesh covers telecommunication, computer software and IT, textiles, construction, chemicals, power, etc. I hope it will increase further in the coming days and we have been aggressively pursuing economic diplomacy. Pursuing economic diplomacy remains one of the top priorities of the Mission.