Marcos in Kuala Lumpur for state visit

KUALA LUMPUR - President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday afternoon for a state visit.

The PR001 carrying Marcos and the entire Philippine delegation landed at Bunga Raya Complex in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 4:51 p.m.

Marcos will proceed to the EQ Hotel for a meet and greet with the Filipino community.

There are 321,593 documented Filipinos who are currently in Malaysia, according to information provided by the Presidential Communications Office.

The state visit is upon the invitation of His Majesty King Al-Sultan Abdullah.

During the state visit, Marcos will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, with the aim to strengthen relations between the two countries.

He will also have discussions with Malaysian business leaders to enhance trade ties. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the Maharlika Investment Fund is expected to be promoted during the trip.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Marcos’ visit stressed "the longstanding friendship and close ties between the two countries as close neighbors and partners in ASEAN."

There have been various high-level exchanges such as Anwar’s visit to Manila in March.

In 2022, the Philippines was Malaysia’s 15th largest trading partner globally and the fifth largest among ASEAN member states, with total trade amounting to $9.42 billion.

‘New areas of synergies’

Marcos left for Malaysia a day after delivering his State of the Nation Address on Monday. 

"This state visit to Malaysia aims to identify new areas of synergies that can propel our partnership and serve as a roadmap for our respective agencies to work on for the mutual benefit of both our countries and the peoples of the new century," Marcos said in his pre-departure speech on Tuesday.

"In order to assist our nation’s trajectory of economic growth and to meet our economic target of 6.4 percent year-on-year GDP growth this year, my visit will focus on the renewed partnership in the fields of agriculture, food security, digital economy, tourism, people to people exchanges as well as explore new avenues for cooperation particularly in areas of the halal industry and Islamic banking," he added.

In his speech before the Filipino community shortly after his arrival, Martcos said a good part of his state visit to Malaysia was meant to guarantee the welfare of Filipinos living and working here.

Marcos said the relations between Manila and Kuala Lumpur needed to be developed to ensure that the Filipinos were being taken care of and that they were being given opportunities.

"Siyempre kailangan nating pagtibayin ang relasyon ng Pilipinas at saka ng Malaysia, unang-una dahil napakaraming Pilipino dito, at kailangan nating tiyakin na lahat kayo ay naaalagaan at maayos ang kabuhayan at nabibigyan ng mga pagkakataon," Marcos said.

(We have to strengthen the relationship between the Philippines and Malaysia, primarily because there are quite a number of Filipinos here, and we have to be certain that all of you are being taken care of and being given opportunities.)

"Kailangan naming tiyakin na ang mga opportunity na 'yan ay nandiyan pa rin at habang nagtratrabaho kayo dito ay hindi kayo nahihirapan at kung mayroon mang problema ay nandito ang pamahalaan upang tiyakin na lahat ng aming magagawa ay magagawa namin para tumulong," he added.

(We have to make sure of these opportunities are there and that while you're working here, you will not be distressed, and if there are problems, the government is here to make sure that what we can do, we will do to help.)

Marcos also told the Filipino community here that he reported in his SONA the investment pledges secured during his foreign trips, citing their importance in improving the country's economy.

Marcos also thanked Filipinos in Malaysia for their support during the previous national elections.  —NB/VBL, GMA Integrated News