VERBATIM TEXT

REMARKS BY

THE HONOURABLE DATO’ SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM

PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

AT A JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH

HIS EXCELLENCY ABDUL FATTAH AL SISI

THE PRESIDENT OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT 

PUTRAJAYA

10 OCTOBER 2026

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Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Very good late afternoon. It is a real honor and a pleasure to welcome my dear brother, Haidra Raees the President Abdul Fattah Al Sisi from the Arab Republic of Egypt, and colleagues.

 

It difficult to begin, “Min Huna Nabda”, how do I begin? Because I’m dealing with a great friend. I’m dealing with person whom have shown so much affection and support. And coming from a country with thousands of years of civilization, educated. Thousands of our students for decades, mainly from Al-Azhar of course, but also the Ain Syams and Alexandria, and so many other universities. And the contribution born for generations for centuries.

 

Our king Sultan Ibrahim mentioned in the meeting about his almarhum, grandfather that visited Kaherah in 1898, something. And in the Tilawah al-Quran last week, I made reference to Al-Manar in 1930 by the then editor Sayyid Muhammad Rashid Rida, corresponding with a Malay scholar, Syeikh Muhammad Basyuni Imran from the Malay world, asking about what is the future Mustaqbal Dhi-Ardi of this religion. Sayyid Muhammad Rashid Rida then asked Amir Shakib Arslan of Morocco and that came the beautiful thesis, why Muslims are behind and others in Europe are succeed. Because of knowledge, because of discipline, because of unity?

 

Things that President Abdul Fattah Al Sisi had mentioned to me from this Hadith al-Qada’ wal-Qadr, from the heart. So, I’m actually ignoring my text. I don’t know what to say because I’m dealing with a different situation here. So forgive me for giving that sort of a introductory remarks which is not cleared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mafi protocol. So thank you again.

 

This visit, of course, is long overdue. Is the last 30 years since the last president was here. And it is amazing because the relationship is not political or diplomatic. You ask any man or woman in the street, they would know Egypt (Mesir), the history from the time of Gamal Abdel Nasser or the days of the our Firaun you asked anyone they follow. And I am quite an exception because I know a bit more “Midan Ubra” (Midan Opera) and Umm Kulthum and we mentioned Al-Azhar, Husayn Haykal and you read the message of Samir Jamal. No, to show about the society. To show how we love the culture of society.

 

 

So let this visit of our great friend be more meaningful, in terms of cementing that collaboration. So both our Foreign Ministers have agreed to have Joint Commission Meeting first quarter of next year and following that to focus on trade and investments on transportation flight regularity, because whilst we have achieved this phenomenal increase this year, rising to 74.7% of trade, but then it is from a very, very low base.

 

You are doing well under your leadership as a president, the economy, first unity, economy of Egypt and Egypt of course, very important country in the Arab world and in Africa. Therefore, the collaboration with Egypt will give Malaysia an immense role and opportunity to expand our trade and general investments, tourism in all fields.

 

We have set up an Arabic center here. Thanks to you and Syaiqul Azhar Muta’ib who was here, who then initiated that. And I said to the President that you have done remarkably well in the past and present by giving the support to Syeikh Dr. Ali Juma’ah, the Sabiq Mufti of Egypt who has been a renowned scholar and respected by too many people here, and recently the Minister of Shul and Islamiah, Waqf and Samah (Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments (Waqf), and Guidance or the Minister of Religious Endowments (Awqaf). So Insya-Allah we’ll continue to do that with the Islamic Affairs Department and the Minister here to increase.

 

But I think beyond that, areas like semiconductor, E&E, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals, because we have been trying to solicit pharmaceutical products from countries, emerging economies, BRICS countries and I think Egypt has that potential to be one destination that we solicit the pharmacy from there.

 

Other than that, education of course, is a field. And I’ve said to the President, there’s not only Al-Azhar which is still important Islamic education, but then you have expanded in terms of E&E, Digital technology in AI, and also in engineering and medicine. Many, many of our doctors were trained in Egypt.

 

 

So, I don’t want to get the impression that Islamic study, it’s important, it is very important because the approach is moderate, the wasatiyah sort of trend, but education should cover other fields of study. So again, our Defence Minister is also here, I think we should collaborate more on defence procurement and also joint training in collaboration.

 

Although we are a distant away, but Haidra Raees, the heart is close. Distance is of course it’s very far, easy but then it’s a different arrangement. That’s why you can see my colleagues would know that we have got many leaders in the past, but my attitude, my engagement with you is certainly different.

 

So, I must thank you again because you have given us this sort of opportunity to enhance these sorts of relations. We discuss of course international issues, the unsettled problem in the state of Hormuz affecting Iran, and we have taken a strong position, the atrocities inflicted upon the people of Palestine and Gaza due to the intracisms and violence perpetrated by Israel. And I’m happy to say that you have also assisted us enormously in many of our efforts to provide assistance in a small way, not comparable to what Egypt has done. You have given so much help and assistance to the Palestinians, but in a small way we did. But we did through you and to your office personally. And also when we brought in the injured Palestinians from Gaza, we coordinated through your office and your military intelligence.

 

And I must, on behalf of Malaysians as a whole, who feels very close to Egypt and the precedent course, thank you again.

 

Wa Syukran.