VERBATIM TEXT

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT

THE HONOURABLE DATO’ SERI ANWAR BIN IBRAHIM, PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

DURING

OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES

15 SEPTEMBER 2026

 

 

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

 

President Mohamed Muizzu, extremely gracious and kind. Your hospitality displayed such friendship and brotherly relations. This is a short visit where we spend hours. All these protocols imposed by the Foreign Ministry sat with me till midnight last night. And I certainly on behalf of my colleagues expressed my profound appreciation for this show of kindness and trust.

 

Bilateral relations must begin by the sincere appreciation of the need, the strength of one another. The respect that we have at a personal level on the behalf of our country. That is why when the president showed such fondness and commitment, I proposed that the joint commission between the two countries be facilitated the earliest possible time. And we can even explore the possibility of having the meeting we will host in Kuala Lumpur before the end of this year. That would showcase our commitment to enhance bilateral relations between our two brotherly and sisterly countries. The ladies can be very sensitive (joking).

 

So, joint commission is to me very, very critical. And there’s still some outstanding issues. The president and to alert, he’s written to me about the need to get our Central Bank Negara Malaysia to respond to the Maldives’ request. Precisely, the Maldives Monetary Authority for this $100 million facility. We have agreed the principal to support this. Although both the Central Bank and MMA will have to just work in the fastest time possible on the mechanism and the process to ensure that the agreement can be settled in the fastest time possible.

And this can only be done based on trust and friendship. On the issue you mentioned about healthcare and education, we have more than 2,000 Maldives students in Malaysia, and that shows the level of knowledge class as friends, but your confidence in the education system. We need to reciprocate and facilitate. Some teeding bureaucratic issues in terms of the process to get parents to accompany the children. I discuss with my colleagues, and we will try and resolve this by the next cabinet meeting to pick up this issue. I don’t think the issue of policy differences. We don’t have problems with Maldivians living in Malaysia, working in Malaysia or even studying in Malaysia. So, I think we will showcase this and respond positively.

 

Similarly on the issue of healthcare, the MADANI Economic Framework places so much importance about compassion and caring, athrism on mental health and all this event. So, I don’t believe that this issue cannot be resolved because it’s part of our national philosophy. What is development and progress. You don’t show care and compassion. And so, I do want this to be again resolved immediately. Not even hundreds, it’s just a few cases that we should respond and assist.

On the issue of the proposal to get PETRONAS to look at the possibility of oil exploration whatever I will have to discuss this with PETRONAS, and I believe the strength of PETRONAS now throughout the world, from Canada to Turkmenistan, Sudan, and to Suriname, Peru, and Brazil. I don’t think it’s too much of a problem to come closer here to Maldives, at least if they don’t are not able to explore oil, they can at least rest a few days here.

 

Now, the embassy issue, is because we’re moving most embassies to Putrajaya, structural arrangement, which can be resolved in the Joint Commission, I believe. You see, your President, I like him very polite and soft-spoken, but very strong in his message. So, when he gives these sort of 1, 2, 3 arrangements, like a good chemical engineer, I have no choice but just to say, “I agree.” So, we’ll make sure that this is done.

 

On climate change, I know it’s very close, and near to the hearts of Maldivians, and rightly so I have expressed concern about the hypocrisy of many of the countries in the West. But their commitment of funding has not come, or come only in a very small amount. So, it’s important for us to support this and together as friendly, brotherly, and sisterly nations, to demand the effective execution of earlier decisions by COP, including financing. Because climate change and effective programs require additional funds. So, I think we’ll work together in this regard.

 

On the international front, we are almost like having the same foreign policy and of course, close to our hearts is of course, the Palestinian issue, and the complete abandonment of moral sense and justice in Gaza. Daily killings and destruction have been tolerated by those who preach human rights and democracy elsewhere. So, I appreciate the stance taken by the President and the Maldivian government, and we will continue to do our utmost to assist, because this is an issue not only close to our heart, but it’s justice and freedom.

 

Yesterday, or the day before, I mentioned the term colonialism. We all fought against colonialism, all but when it comes to lands and areas in Palestine being colonized by Israel, not many are prepared to speak up.

So, and the President Mohamed Muizzu, you represent one voice of reason and conscience, and I’m happy to see that you’re a true defender of human rights and freedom.

 

Thank you very much, again.