The Philippine government’s National Security Council (NSC) and its Malaysian counterpart convened on Tuesday for a high-level talk on security cooperation.
According to NSC Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya, the bilateral meeting was led by National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año and Malaysia’s National Security Council Director General Raja Dato’ Nushirwan Bin Zainal Abidin.
“The dialogue marked a significant step in reinforcing the political, security, and economic ties between the two ASEAN states,” Malaya said.
Año began the discussions by emphasizing the directives given by their respective leaders. “Our two leaders, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, made a commitment in 2023 to strengthen the political, security, and economic relations of our two countries,” he said.
“Their commitments are marching orders for us to continue our security engagements and explore areas of cooperation,” he added.
Raja Dato’ Nushirwan affirmed this sentiment, highlighting the natural affinity between the Philippines and Malaysia.
“The signal from the top leadership is clear. The Philippines and Malaysia have a close relationship, and we have to increase cooperation at all levels. Our relations are organic in nature because of our proximity,” he remarked, underscoring the strategic necessity of their collaboration.
Año also cited the role of the two nations within the broader ASEAN framework, urging a focus on unity and regional leadership. “As founders of the ASEAN, Malaysia and the Philippines should push for strengthening the key principle of ASEAN, which is the ASEAN centrality,” he noted. “It is the vision of ASEAN to be the leader, driver, architect, and vanguard of regional cooperation in the Asia Pacific or putting ASEAN at the center of the regional architecture,” he added.
Responding to evolving regional security realities, he welcomed Malaysia’s proposal to establish a dialogue mechanism for national security advisors from ASEAN member states. “This initiative aims to foster comprehensive regional discussions on security, paving the way for more coordinated action among member nations,” he said.
Año also raised the situation of undocumented Filipinos in Sabah. “Though many Filipinos have been given residency status in Sabah, many remain undocumented. It is the desire of our government to register all of these undocumented Filipinos for them to access social services offered by the Philippine government,” he said as he proposed establishing a bilateral platform dedicated to addressing this important issue.
Raja Dato’ Nushirwan welcomed said proposal and said that the Malaysian government will continue to facilitate consular visits of the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to Sabah and Sarawak.
The meeting also revisited the ongoing trilateral cooperative agreement between the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia aimed at combating piracy, human trafficking, and other transnational crimes in their maritime borders.
Año emphasized the effectiveness of this collaboration, stating, “The trilateral cooperative agreement is an effective mechanism to address piracy, human trafficking, and other transnational crimes in our maritime borders.”
“We must continue to work together to sustain the gains brought about by the Trilateral Cooperative Agreement and work on improving other areas of cooperation in the tri-border area like the establishment of a joint rules of engagement,” he said.
Raja Dato’ Nushirwan reaffirmed Malaysia’s support for ASEAN’s role as a key platform for discussing regional security issues. He emphasized that the longstanding relationship between Malaysia and the Philippines remains robust and vital, driven by their shared proximity and common interests.
The bilateral meeting concluded with a strong commitment from both nations to advance collaborative efforts in regional security, aiming to strengthen their partnership in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity throughout the Asia Pacific, in alignment with the principles of ASEAN unity and centrality.
