AUSTRALIA COMMITTED TO DEEPER STRATEGIC TIES WITH MALAYSIA -- AMBASSADOR HEINECKE

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali & Nurfardlina Izzati Moktar

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (Bernama) -- Australia is committed to strengthening its longstanding relations with Malaysia by deepening cooperation in key areas such as education, defence, clean energy, and digital innovation, said Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia, Danielle Heinecke.

She highlighted that the Australia-Malaysia relations, now marking its 70th year, is anchored by mutual respect, a strong people-to-people connection, and robust cooperation in a wide array of sectors.

“We were one of the first partners here. We have built strong ties through education, trade, and security. Now, our focus is on how we can shape the future together,” she said during an interview on Bernama TV’s The Nation: Diplomatic Dispatch.

As Australia prepares for more high-level visits to Malaysia, including one by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during his ASEAN engagements this year in October, Heinecke said the focus will be on building future-oriented partnerships.

“This is about working together on education, defence, clean energy, and digital innovation. The opportunities are tremendous, and the foundation we have built over the last 70 years put us in a great position to grow further,” she said.

Touching on education and youth mobility, Heinecke said more than 300,000 Malaysian alumni have studied in Australia, while four Australian universities – Monash, Curtin, Swinburne, and the University of Wollongong – operate campuses across Malaysia, collectively hosting over 13,000 students.

“In Australia, we currently have around 20,000 Malaysian students enrolled, including many in TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) and vocational training programmes.

“We see increasing mobility and exchange of knowledge, which is a real strength of our relationship,” she said.

She added that Malaysia is learning from Australia’s apprenticeship and industry-linked curriculum model to strengthen its own technical and vocational education system.

She encouraged more young Malaysians to take advantage of the reciprocal Working Holiday Maker visa, which allows citizens aged 18 to 30 to work and travel in each other’s country.

She said that despite there being 1,100 slots available annually for Malaysians, “the programme remains underutilised”.

“We want more of our youth to engage in two-way experiences...whether studying, working, or interning. It creates valuable networks and shared understanding,” she said.

-- BERNAMA