KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Bahrain have reaffirmed their longstanding friendship and commitment to enhancing cooperation through the exchange of seven memoranda of understanding (MoUs).
The ceremony on Tuesday (May 27) was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman Hamad Al Khalifa after their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 46th Asean Summit and Related Summits.
The meeting provided an opportunity to assess the progress of bilateral relations between Malaysia and Bahrain following Anwar's visit to Manama last February.
The key areas of cooperation include investment and trade, Islamic finance and banking, defence, halal industry, semiconductors, agriculture and agri-commodities as well as connectivity, particularly in the tourism sector.
Also present were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Public Service Department director-general Tan Sri Wan Ahmad Dahlan Abdul Aziz.
Among the MoUs exchanged was the Notes on the Establishment of a Political Consultation Mechanism, which institutionalises regular dialogue between the two countries' foreign ministries.
In the realm of transport and digital innovation, Malaysia received two symbolic certificates -- the Global Logistics Sea to Air Partner Certificate and the Data Sovereignty Initiative Certificate presented to Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
The certificates underscore Bahrain’s recognition of Malaysia’s growing leadership in logistics and digital governance.
Malaysia and Bahrain also exchanged documents on Cooperation in Planning, Development and Promotion of Industrial Parks, exchanged between by Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry and Bahrain's Finance and National Economy Ministry.
The bilateral engagement further expanded into public administration through Cooperation in Human Resource Management in the Public Sector, formalised between Malaysia’s Public Service Department and Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry, with a focus on knowledge-sharing and capacity-building in governance.
Other MoUs include one in higher education between Universiti Sains Malaysia and the University of Bahrain, and another between the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI) and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), aimed at strengthening trade and investment linkages between the two countries. - Bernama
