MANILA – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim vowed on Wednesday in Manila to continue efforts to help facilitate the peace process in the Muslim-dominated Philippine island of Mindanao.
The Malaysian leader, who arrived on Wednesday morning, is the first head of government to visit the Philippines since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in June 2022.
Datuk Seri Anwar said Mr Marcos has made “great strides” in advancing the peace process in Mindanao in southern Philippines – an area that has long been plagued by poverty and separatist violence.
He said its success would provide “enormous potential” to benefit Filipinos and Malaysians alike.
“I think it’s only our duty as a good neighbour to support and facilitate the peace process, and I stand by whatever things need to be done at the bilateral, multilateral level to support this endeavour,” Mr Anwar said.
From 2001 to 2012, Malaysia served as a mediator in the negotiations between the Philippine government and Muslim rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The talks eventually culminated in the formation of the Bangsamoro autonomous region in 2019.
Mr Anwar, who became prime minister in November 2022, said Malaysia will continue aiding the people of the self-ruled Bangsamoro region through various capacity-building projects. These include the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme, which allows the country to share its development experiences and expertise with developing nations like the Philippines.
Mr Marcos thanked Malaysia for its “great contribution” in the peace process in southern Philippines.
“We hope that this support that they have shown over the past few years will continue to contribute to the success of the peace process and establishment of the Bangsamoro autonomous region,” he added.
During their bilateral meeting, both leaders agreed to pursue joint initiatives to combat transnational crime and terrorism.
“Our defence and security ties are also strong and growing. We share common borders that are, to an extent, quite porous. Therefore, the collaboration needs to be further enhanced,” Mr Anwar said.
The two leaders also plan to revive trade and investment cooperation, particularly in the areas of the halal industry, agriculture and food security, and the digital economy.
They also discussed regional security issues, including Myanmar’s military leadership and South China Sea disputes.
Mr Anwar said he appreciated Mr Marcos’ support for Asean’s five-point peace plan that Myanmar’s junta had agreed to, but added that alternative ways must be forged to persuade the military leadership to work with Asean in achieving peace.
On the issue of the South China Sea, both Mr Anwar and Mr Marcos agreed that all claimant territories in Asean must take a multilateral approach to achieve a peaceful resolution to the maritime dispute.
Malaysia and the Philippines are among the South-east Asian nations that are contesting Beijing’s claim over territories in the South China Sea.
Before flying home on Thursday, Mr Anwar will receive an honorary law degree from the state-run University of the Philippines, where he is scheduled to deliver a public lecture on Asean geopolitics.
The university said it is conferring the degree in recognition of Mr Anwar’s expertise on Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, whose monument he will be visiting on Thursday morning. It also praised the Malaysian leader for his “principled stance against corruption and his management of the Malaysian economy during the Asian financial crisis”.
