HIGH COMMISSIONER REFLECTS ON STRENGTHENED MALAYSIA-NZ RELATIONS FOLLOWING PM LUXON’S VISIT

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Mazita Marzuki, shared reflections on the recent visit of New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, to Malaysia, which focused on the strategic partnership established in 2023. 

Mazita said the three-day visit by Luxon marked an important milestone in the enduring 67-year diplomatic relations between the two countries, characterised by warm bilateral ties and collaborative efforts across various sectors including trade, education, security, and sustainable development.

She highlighted that the strategic partnership, which was a key topic of discussion between both leaders during the visit, revolves around four central pillars: Prosperity, People, Planet, and Peace and Security.

“Under the Prosperity pillar, both leaders committed to eliminating trade barriers and maximising the benefits of existing free trade agreements, with a particular focus on the Halal sector and renewable energy (RE). 

“They aim to increase the value of two-way trade by 50 per cent by 2030,” she said during an interview on Bernama TV’s programme ‘BERNAMA World’, titled 'Strengthening Malaysia-New Zealand Ties: Post-Visit Reflections and Advancing Cultural Diplomacy.'

Mazita also noted that Luxon’s trade mission, which included 20 high-level delegates from sectors such as tourism and agriculture, identified numerous opportunities for enhanced cooperation.

Several business-to-business (B2B) Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed during the visit, setting the stage for increased trade and investment.

Touching on the People pillar, Mazita saw commitments to enhancing educational cooperation and promoting two-way student mobility, as both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing educational cooperation and welcoming New Zealand students to Malaysia.

“Education has always been a cornerstone of our partnership and we are committed to further strengthening the education links and enhancing two-way mobility, institutional partnerships and collaboration in academic and youth exchanges. 

“So these are vital to building mutual cultural understanding and friendship. We have 642 Malaysian students here and only 14 New Zealand students in Malaysia. And we have to make sure it's balanced,” she stressed. 

In the realm of agriculture, under the Planet pillar, the high commissioner said that both leaders agreed to finalise an export agreement for fresh Malaysian pineapples by December.

“So we are hoping by December that could materialise. Prime Minister Luxon also personally has told me:‘Mazita, I want to have pineapples by December, so let's try to make that happen,’"she said. 

Mazita said that the Peace and Security pillar involved discussions on strengthening defence ties, as Malaysia welcomed New Zealand's proposal to strengthen defence and security relations through joint training under the Five Power Defence Arrangements.

“Both leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including the situation in Gaza, reinforcing their commitment to global peace and security,” she noted. 

Looking ahead, the high commissioner also expressed optimism about the future of Malaysia-New Zealand relations. 

Mazita expressed optimism about the future of Malaysia-New Zealand relations.

She pointed to the recent participation of New Zealand delegations in Malaysia's Agriculture, Horticulture & Agrotourism (MAHA) exhibition and the signing of MoUs in the agricultural sector as indicators of growing collaboration.

Mazita emphasised the importance of sustainable investments and the need to capitalise on on accessible opportunities that would benefit both nations in the long term.

As Malaysia prepares to assume the ASEAN chairmanship in 2025, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of ASEAN-New Zealand dialogue relations, Mazita expressed confidence that Luxon’s visit has laid the foundation for deeper collaboration in areas such as trade, security, climate change, and people-to-people connections.

“We will chart a forward-looking agenda for even greater collaboration in areas such as trade, security, climate change and People to People connections and work closely with New Zealand including our ASEAN members and partners to ensure our shared goals and values are realised,” she added. 

-- BERNAMA