KUCHING: President of the Senate, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar held a bilateral meeting with the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the Parliament of the Philippines, Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, in Manila, the Philippines last Friday.
The meeting, held during the 31st Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) from Nov 23 to 25, aimed to foster stronger ties and collaboration between Malaysia and the Philippines, delving into several key areas of mutual interest.
Among the primary points of discussion was the exploration of business ventures, where Wan Junaidi expressed his gratitude for Philippine hospitality and initiated discussions for more potential business ventures and partnerships between Malaysia and the Philippines.
Wan Junaidi highlighted Malaysia’s expertise in issuing halal certification for food businesses and expressed a desire to promote collaboration in this area not only in the Philippines but also in neighbouring nations.
“Both leaders recognised room for growth in trade and business ventures between their countries, with Romualdez expressing keen interest and appreciation,” said the office of the president of the Senate in a statement today.
Also discussed in the meeting was the commitment to facilitate Malaysian investments.
Romualdez thanked Malaysia for the positive relationship between the two countries and expressed a keen interest in fostering more Malaysian trading ventures and partnerships in the Philippines.
“He acknowledged existing trade investments and business ventures in the Philippines and committed to facilitating and easing processes for Malaysian companies looking to invest, conduct business, and trade in the Philippines. The commitment aimed to enhance bilateral economic ties and increase trade volume,” said the statement.
Wan Junaidi also commended the Parliament of the Philippines for its notable representation of women and shared Malaysia’s forward plan to increase women’s representation in the Parliament of Malaysia, expressing a commitment to fostering gender equality and inclusivity in the legislative process.
Meanwhile, Romualdez expressed his gratitude for the time allocated by the President of the Senate of Malaysia for the bilateral meeting between the House of Representatives and the Senate of Malaysia.
“This acknowledgment underscored the importance of direct and open communication channels between the legislative bodies of the two nations,” he said.
The bilateral meeting was joined by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Malaysia in the Philippines Datuk Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino and other official Malaysian delegates.
Meanwhile, at the forum, Romualdez extended his appreciation for the active participation of the Malaysian delegation throughout the forum.
Acknowledging the high-level attendance, he emphasised the value of Malaysia’s engagement within the APPF, underlining the importance of robust participation and cooperation among member nations.
This sentiment was also shared by The Honourable Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, President of the Senate, Philippines.
