President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said that he is eyeing “new areas of synergies” – in particular in the halal and Islamic banking industries – as he arrived in Malaysia for a three-day state visit Tuesday afternoon.
The chartered Philippine Airlines flight PR001 from Manila, carrying the Chief Executive and his official delegation, landed at the Bunga Raya Complex of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 4:51 p.m.
“This state visit to Malaysia aims to identify new areas of synergies that can propel our partnership and serve as a roadmap for our respective agencies to work on for the mutual benefit of both our countries and the peoples of the new century,” the President said during his pre-departure speech at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.
“I am optimistic that this state visit will nurture the foundations of a revitalized and stronger Philippines-Malaysia cooperation ahead of the celebration of our six decades of formal diplomatic relations in 2024,” he added.
The Malaysian government earlier said it was optimistic that the state visit of President Marcos would further strengthen bilateral ties and pave the way for more areas of cooperation.
Mr. Marcos immediately met with the Filipino community in Kuala Lumpur.
“Nandito po kami para maging panauhin ng hari ng Malaysia. Siya ay matagal nang kaibigan (We are here as guests of the king of Malaysia. He is a longtime friend),” he told the OFWs.
Mr. Marcos said as part of efforts to assist the country’s economic trajectory, his trip will focus on the renewed partnerships in the fields of agriculture and food security, digital economy, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
“The halal industry is expected to grow to a trillion-dollar industry in the international market as its global demand continues to expand.
Malaysia is one of the global leaders in this sector, and this visit aims to forge synergies with Malaysia for the Philippines to enjoy a share of this market,” he said.
The President said he will have an audience with the King of Malaysia Al-Sultan Abdullah and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who was in the Philippines in March.
He will likewise attend a meeting with Malaysian business leaders organized to showcase trade and investment opportunities.
“I hope that through the investment forum, roundtable discussions, and business meetings organized by the Department of Trade and Industry, we will build new bridges between our economies and create inroads to new ventures that will see our bilateral trade volumes and investments increase,” the President said.