Well, thank you very much, and it’s been an honour to meet with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, here in Melbourne for the second Australia-Malaysia Annual Leaders Meeting, and to welcome him and his delegation to Australia for the upcoming ASEAN-Australia Special Summit to commemorate 50 years of us being, Australia being, a dialogue partner of ASEAN. Malaysia is one of Australia’s oldest and most important friends in the region. We’re bound together in so many ways from family ties and close economic connections to the tens of thousands of students and tourists each year are drawn to Australian and Malaysian shores. Above all, we share the same aspirations for the region we call home. We believe in an Indo Pacific region that is open, stable and prosperous, and where sovereignty is respected and differences are settled through dialogue, and agreed rules and norms. My meeting with Prime Minister Anwar today emphasised our steadfast commitment to this vision and a shared desire to bring our people and our economies closer still. Australia stands ready to play a bigger role in Malaysia’s pursuit of economic opportunity, investment, development and growth. Our comprehensive strategic partnership gives us a framework to do just that, as does Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy. The Strategy identified the digital economy and energy transition as key areas of potential growth between our two nations. Today, I’m pleased to announce a number of initiatives to help business take advantage of this potential. A digital economy MOU that will increase economic opportunities for our technology companies, expanded cooperation on maritime decarbonisation and clean energy that will advance green shipping and the clean energy transition and a maritime cooperation package that supports our diverse maritime interests, from maritime domain awareness to environmental protection. Closer collaboration on education will also pay dividends for our nations. Today, Prime Minister Anwar and I agreed to deepen partnerships between our universities and other vocational training institutions through a new Memorandum of Understanding on Higher Education. I’m also pleased to announce today our new Memorandum of Understanding on Youth and Sport, which will provide great opportunities for the next generation of Australian and Malaysian young sports people to train and develop side by side. As two of the region’s democracies, I am proud that Australia is supporting Prime Minister Anwar’s Institutional Reform Agenda through the Australia Malaysia Institutional Strengthening Program. This is already working to strengthen government transparency and integrity. Our extensive defence cooperation, underpinned by our membership of the Five Power Defence Arrangements and the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence program was high on today’s agenda. We also announced a MoU on the comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to enable data sharing and capacity building and nuclear non-proliferation between our two countries. The Prime Minister and I also discussed our joint commitment to better manage cyber threats. Going forwards, Australia and Malaysia will be able to engage in more comprehensive information sharing and cyber skills development, and we will work closely together on immigration and border issues. I’m delighted Prime Minister Anwar will join ASEAN leaders and myself at the Special Summit for the 50th anniversary of Australia-ASEAN dialogue relations in Melbourne here, this week. Australia’s security and prosperity are intertwined with those of Southeast Asia. This is why deepening Australia’s partnerships in Southeast Asia remains high on the Government’s agenda. If Australia and Malaysia work more closely together, building on our long history of cooperation and trust for one another, we can shape the kind of region that we both seek, and the friendship between our two countries will only reach new heights. Thank you, Prime Minister.
ANWAR IBRAHIM, PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, colleagues, may I, on behalf of the Malaysian delegation, express my profound gratitude and thanks for the wonderful hospitality accorded to us in the delegation, throughout our stay during the ASEAN summit with Australia. As you have said, the long standing relations between Malaysia and Australia goes back pre-war and the enormous contribution of the Australian armed forces is something which we have considered one of the great pillars in terms of strengthening our security and securing our ultimate independence. Now we have entered the new phase of comprehensive strategic partnership and we have agreed to the efforts of our various Government officials and Ministries on the issues of trade and investment, education, sport, digital economy and cybersecurity. And I have added my strong support for efforts to strengthen institutions and governance to give to them meaning and force to democratic transition in our country, in our societies. We also took the opportunity to again strengthen bilateral trade growth, because Australia remains our 10th largest trading partner and the interest by investors and companies, Australian companies into Malaysia, seems to be growing. This shows the sign of confidence they have in Malaysia and I must express again my thanks. We again reaffirm our commitment to intensify existing cooperation, including some very specific areas like vaccine ecosystem and also clean energy transition. The issue of high education is of course a priority for us because we have benefited immensely from our exposure to the students, to the education system here. And I for one, personally, very excited by the interests of many of the universities to expand their programs into Malaysia other than our continued sending students to Australia. Defence and security cooperation is also critical, maritime cooperation, joint defence program, countering terrorism, transnational crime, as well as cybersecurity. We discuss and exchange views on various regional international issues – of course Russian aggression in Ukraine, and also Palestinian Israeli crisis, and on behalf of the Malaysian Government, we express our appreciation to the decision taken by Australian Government to support call for ceasefire and to enhance and increase humanitarian efforts into Gaza. The four MOUs is of course a remarkable milestone in charting a more progressive future, and it underscores the substantive success and outcome of our meetings. We will certainly encourage more exchange and visits of leaders, private sector students and youth and sports – some of our more outstanding sportsmen and women are being right now being trained in Australia. So, if they secure some achievements in the Olympics, we’ll give some credit to Australia. And so again, Prime Minister Albanese, thank you again for this great welcoming and hospitality accorded to us, and we will look forward to your visit to Malaysia very soon, god willing – we say inshallah.
PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE: Indeed, well you honour us with your presence here, Prime Minister. We will now take some questions, Stephen Dziedzic.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister Anwar, last week in the Financial Times you criticised what was apparently termed as ‘sinophobia’ in the United States and perhaps the broader west in its dealings with the region. Can you expand on that, sir? What did you mean by that? How does that manifest? And can I also ask, do you view Australia’s attempts to build-up its own military capacity, including through AUKUS, in the face of Beijing’s own massive military build-up – do you view that as a reasonable response? Or does Malaysia harbour concerns?
PRIME MINISTER ANWAR: You know these difficult questions to be addressed to the host. But anyway, my reference to China-phobia is because the criticism levied against us for giving additional focus to China – my response is, trade investments is open and right now China seems to be the leading investor and trade into Malaysia. Cumulatively still, United States of America, it’s an open trading policy to encourage investments overseas from foreign countries. But we are independent nation, we are fiercely independent. We do not want to be dictated by any force. So, once we remain to be an important friend to the United States or Europe and here in Australia, they should not preclude us from being friendly to one of our important neighbours, precisely China. That was the context. And if they have problems with China, they should not impose it upon us. We do not have a problem with China. So, that’s why I referred to the issue of China-phobia in the West.
PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE: Thank you. A question from Malaysia.
JOURNALIST: [inaudible] Australia can open more doors for investment for Malaysia? And secondly, there was an anniversary of missing MH370 nearing. So, what is the status? Because now the search and rescue been suspended.
PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE: On the latter question, the 8th of March is Friday, marks ten years since the disappearance of MH370. Now, tragically, on that some 239 people were on board, including six Australian citizens, as well as a Kiwi who was resident in Western Australia. I must say this, it will be a difficult period because on the 17th of July, we will commemorate ten years since MH17, which saw 38 Australian citizens out of 298, lose their lives. We acknowledge at this time the ongoing grief for loved ones, and deeply regret that the aircraft has been unable to be located, despite the extensive searches which took place in the southern Indian Ocean. So, we understand that, at this time, it will be a very difficult time for people because they weren’t given the certainty that would come with a successful search mission. It is very difficult. I was the Transport Minister for some time, and the Shadow Minister here, and I know that Australia participated, this, of course, is led by Malaysia as the State of registration for the missing aircraft. So, the relatives and others, friends and associates, will find this a very difficult time. But Malaysia certainly, in particular, it’s a difficult time for our friends in Malaysia, and we certainly acknowledge that.
JOURNALIST: This is a question to both leaders. What sort of language would you like to see in the ASEAN Summit communique delivered on Wednesday in terms of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? Do you have sympathy with Israel’s position? And then, just to follow up on that MH370 question, if I could just understand from you, Prime Minister Anwar, will you commit to a renewed search effort? And what gives you hope of a breakthrough this time?
PRIME MINSITER ANWAR: On the first question, I think the general consensus is calling for ceasefire and great humanitarian support. Probably avoiding the contentious issues between Palestine and Israel. But at least for now, this ceasefire and humanitarian assistance. On the 370, we have taken a position that if there’s a compelling case, evidence, that needs to be reopened, we will certainly be happy to reopen, because I don’t think it’s an issue of a technical issue. It is the issue of affecting lives of people and whatever need to be done, must be done.
PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE: On Australia’s position, we have been very consistent and the statements, joint statements, by myself with the Prime Minister of Canada and the Prime Minister of New Zealand, who’ll be with us here this week, indicate our extensive position of our opposition to what occurred on October 7. Our deep commitment about civilian suffering, whether they be Israeli or Palestinian, our call for humanitarian ceasefire, our call for hostages to be released, our call for a political solution that must include a two state solution where Palestinians and Israelis can live with security and stability side by side. That is in the interests of everyone in the region. Now that is Australia’s position. No doubt the world, including ASEAN leaders, are concerned about events that have occurred there and concerned about instability that is created there as well. And I think the world is looking on and is very concerned about the loss of innocent life that has occurred, both Israeli and Palestinian. One final question.
JOURNALIST: What is the expectation for further bilateral trade route, in percentage, for this year and which sector that both countries keen to venture in?
PRIME MINISTER ALBNAESE: I think that Australia and Malaysia, as the Prime Minister and I discussed both at the ministerial level meeting that we just had, but also the one on one meeting that we had today that follows on other one on one meetings, is we are both ambitious for what can be achieved in a further growth in trade and economic relations. It’s no accident that my Trade Minister is here and that the equivalent Investment Minister is here from Malaysia, because when you look at the prospects that are there, whether it be rare earths, an example of through Lynas’ investment in Malaysia, or whether you look at Malaysian investment here as well, is very significant. We’ve identified, through the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy that was developed by Nicholas Moore, identified in particular green energy as one real potential for an expansion in investment. But there are other areas as well, in education and in areas that benefit not just the economic relationship but help to build those people to people relations as well. The Prime Minister visited Monash University earlier today and what that brings is those people to people relations. So, there’s a real potential for further institutional investment from Australia into Malaysia as well, with universities and tertiary education being a real prospect. Australia remains an important supplier of LNG to Malaysia as well. This is an important relationship, we share so much in common and our economies, though, are quite complementary. And that’s why I think that this relationship is particularly important going forward and why it has been very good. I must say that I have, over a relatively short period of time, developed a strong personal relationship with the Prime Minister as well. Those people to people relations do matter and Australia is very much focused on this region. We have sometimes here had some commentary that’s been critical of that. But we make no apologies for our focus being right here in Southeast Asia, in the Indo Pacific, because this is where our future economic prosperity will be determined. We’re living in, this region is the fastest growing region of the world in human history. What that presents is enormous opportunity for both our nations.
PRIME MINISTER ANWAR: I think it’s renewable energy, green technology and digital, of course, and food security is important because Australia is far more advanced in that and this is something we have dire need in many countries, including Malaysia. And of course, education remains the priority, opportunities for students to come here, to continue here, which I have said that we have benefited from that exercise and also the intention of many Australian institutions and universities to set up campuses in Malaysia, which we strongly encourage. These are avenues that we can further explore and it is our duty and commitment to facilitate, in fact, accelerate the process. Thank you.
PRIME MINISTER ALBANESE: Thank you very much.
