MALAYSIA COMMITTED TO STRENGTHENING PARLIAMENTARY TIES AS IT ASSUMES AIPA PRESIDENCY

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is committed to improving regional integration and fostering parliamentary diplomacy to benefit all ASEAN countries.

The Malaysian Parliament in a statement today said, the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul conveyed that message during a dialogue with his counterpart Tran Thanh Man, in Hanoi, Vietnam.

“As Malaysia assumes the AIPA (ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly) Presidency under the theme of ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability,’ Malaysia is dedicated to enhancing regional integration and advancing parliamentary diplomacy that benefits all ASEAN member states.

“These engagements in Vietnam signal the beginning of Malaysia’s leadership in AIPA, where it aims to drive inclusive growth, digital innovation, and sustainable development across the ASEAN region, while reinforcing parliamentary cooperation among member states,” the statement read.

Johari, who is the incoming President of the 46th  AIPA, is on a three-day official visit to Vietnam since yesterday, at the invitation of Thanh Man.

During the dialogue, Vietnam expressed its keen interest into roping Malaysia’s expertise to train Vietnamese enterprises and local authorities on halal production processes and certification.

“Vietnam's commitment to developing its halal industry, demonstrated through a large-scale halal conference held in Hanoi on Oct 22, attended by its Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính,” it said.

The South East Asian country has set up a Halal Certification Authority (HALCERT) under its Ministry of Science and Technology in April 2024 to standardise and enforce halal standards.

The dialogue also underscored the remarkable progress in bilateral relations, with bilateral trade between the two South East Asian countries rising to about USD$10 billion in the first eight months this year, an increase of 15.2 per cent compared to the previous year.

Additionally, Malaysia is Vietnam’s second-largest source of tourists within the ASEAN region, with over 360,000 Malaysians visiting the Indo-China country in the first nine months of 2024.

During the dialogue, both leaders also discussed ways to boost cooperation in key areas such as high technology, tourism, trade, and energy.

-- BERNAMA