VERBATIM TEXT

 

JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE

OFFICIAL VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL TO MALAYSIA

25 OCTOBER 2025

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Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

1. My dear friend and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of The Federative Republic of Brazil and First Lady Ms. Janja Lula da Silva, I wouldn’t be able to express beyond words my special thanks and appreciation to my colleagues for your presence and your visit today.

 

2. We know you as a leader who represent the working class initially, who remains consistent in your struggle to champion the cause of the poor and the underprivileged and this has been a story that’s been told and followed by many of our fellow Malaysians. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, you remain consistent not only for Brazil, but also your articulation of foreign policy issues, from the atrocities and genocide in Gaza to the issues affecting climate change and your initiative is much, of course, well regarded.

 

3. You mentioned as Chair of BRICS when I was there, thank you very much for the hospitality accorded to me and my delegation, twice. And now you are again hosting COP30 in Brazil, somewhere near Amazon. I wish I would be there 30 years ago to be able to explore more of Amazon. Probably it’s tough now, but that shows your single commitment to deal with issues not only affecting your people and the environment in Brazil, but to espouse policies that would save the world and the international community.

 

4. So again, as I’ve said in our series of meetings in Rio and here in Malaysia we admire your tenacity of purpose, your courage in standing for the principles of justice and human dignity and you are outstanding as one of the few countries’ prominent leaders espousing these values, including, particularly, which is also close to the hearts of many Malaysians, the atrocities in Gaza.

 

5. Now, our discussions have covered issues of trade and investments, of energy. And again, on behalf of Malaysia, I thank you for your support, particularly to PETRONAS and YINSON, the private company, and also our determination to enhance this bilateral relations has covered a number of issues, of course, diplomatic training, research.

 

6. And I mentioned that decades ago, when I was at UNESCO, one of the countries that excited me was Brazil, because you have placed so much importance in research and scientific research that can be a showcase for most of the newly emerging independent countries.

 

7. And in fact, I confess to the President that I was personally, exposed and educated by one of your great scientists, Dr. Israel Vargas, who actually took me as a young brother and told me the importance of governments to focus on scientific research. That, Mr. President, influenced many of my policies when I decided to push for increased funds and disbursement of funds for research and scientific research, technology research, including agriculture through MARDI.

 

8. We will, of course, explore this in the fields of semiconductor, which we have some expertise to share with your expertise, and issue of food technology, which you have better, for example, experience and higher skills, which we can certainly share. We talk about the possibility of increased import of poultry products from Brazil.

 

9. And education, culture, of course. I’ve seen from the television how the vibrancy of Rio culture, which we can’t compete. We tried our best to show some resemblance of that, but the Rio culture, it was just too exciting.

 

10. I missed that because you make me work in Rio. No chance to have anything else to look at it. (said jokingly)

 

11. But anyway, I congratulate you again for your conferment of the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in International Development and the Global South by our premier national university this afternoon.

 

12. But let me assure you, in conclusion, my dear brother and friend, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that this is not a normal, ordinary diplomatic encounter. This is an encounter, an engagement between friends who share common conviction and ideals.

 

13. And let us make sure that our two countries and two regions — Latin America, ASEAN, and Asia will work together, and we become one of the key pillars in ensuring that bilateral relations extend beyond trade, investments, politics, and culture.

Thank you.