Malaysia welcomed Bangladesh’s interest in migration and investment during Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ visit to Kuala Lumpur, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calling him “a friend of Malaysia” for his extensive connections in the country.
The three-day trip created opportunities for enhanced cooperation in education, defence, energy, and other sectors. Officials credited the progress to close contact between the two countries’ leadership and Yunus’ popularity in Malaysian society.
Malaysia’s home minister accompanied him throughout the visit—from receiving him at the airport to seeing him off. Many prominent Malaysians had sought meetings, but time constraints made it impossible.
A senior official said: “In general, preparations for such visits gain momentum about two months in advance. A total of eight instruments were signed during this visit, two of which had been nearly finalized earlier. Over the past two months, we managed to finalise six more, as the Malaysians were proactive. On the very morning of the chief adviser’s arrival in Malaysia, they even informed us they were ready to sign another instrument.”
The king of the Malaysian state nearest Kuala Lumpur attended two of Yunus’s events, including a dinner hosted by Bangladesh’s ambassador.
Balanced discussions
Before formal talks, a restricted meeting was held with policymakers. Discussions covered migration, investment, education, defence, foreign policy, the Rohingya crisis, Myanmar, ASEAN and other matters.
An official said: “There were important discussions on various issues. In addition to migration, Bangladesh also placed importance on resolving the Rohingya crisis and strengthening engagement with Asean.”
Around 150 Malaysian businesspeople attended an investment conference, while the BIDA chief held separate meetings with more leaders.
Migration focus
About 40% of Malaysia’s foreign workers are Bangladeshi. The country’s labour market for foreign workers is currently closed but is being restructured.
An official said: “Malaysia’s rules will apply equally to all countries. However, we requested that Bangladesh be given greater consideration in recruitment. Before the chief adviser’s visit, Malaysia had already completed arrangements for multiple-entry visas for Bangladeshis. We also requested approval for the entry of 8,000 Bangladeshis whose cases had been stuck due to protocol complexities.”