Malaysia

17 October 2023; MEMO: The head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, received a phone call from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who expressed “Malaysia’s support and solidarity with the Palestinian people and with Gaza in the battle of Al-Aqsa flood.”

The Hamas movement said in a press statement yesterday that Ibrahim stressed that Malaysia refuses to respond to the pressure the West is putting on it to push it to condemn Hamas.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Malaysia does not agree with Western pressure to condemn Palestinian militant group Hamas, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday, amid widespread outrage over this month's deadly attack on southern Israel.

Western and European countries have repeatedly asked Malaysia to condemn Hamas in meetings, Anwar said, without providing details.

"I said that we, as a policy, have a relationship with Hamas from before and this will continue," Anwar told parliament.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 (NNN-Bernama) — The Malaysian ringgit is expected to remain easier next week, trading in the RM4.72-RM4.74 range against the US dollar.

SPI Asset Management managing partner Stephen Innes said the market stance is that the Federal Reserve is expected to continue its “higher for longer” policy, with interest rates to remain elevated for an extended period.

“I believe the dollar will continue to be in demand due to its distinctive safe-haven qualities and its yield advantage over the ringgit.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia is still awaiting Indonesia’s response concerning cooperation under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.

Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Malaysia has yet to receive any response after sending a letter to the country and hoped to hear from them soon.

“We have not received a response yet.  We have sent the letter directly and also to their embassy…we will wait for their response,” he told a press conference here, Thursday.

MALACCA (Malaysia), Oct 3 (NNN-Bernama) — Education has become one of the bridges that tie relations between New Zealand and Malaysia, said New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.

Kiro said the relations started in the early 1940s when the New Zealand Defence Force supported Malaysia’s defence during the emergency and then the Konfrontasi, before Malaysian students started going to New Zealand under the Colombo Plan in the early 1950s.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia is maintaining its 2023 gross domestic product (GDP)  growth forecast of 4.0-5.0 per cent, said Deputy Finance Minister I, Ahmad Maslan. 

“The Finance Ministry has not made any changes with regard to the economic growth projection for this year.

“However, we do appreciate the World Bank’s statement as the statement was based on its own analysis, and we respect their findings,” he said to reporters after launching the Malaysia-China Entrepreneur Macro Health Forum 2023 here Tuesday.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 (NNN-Bernama) — The United Kingdom (UK) will continue its collaboration with Malaysia to support the country’s ambition in making technical and vocational education and training (TVET) a key driver of economic prosperity.

British High Commissioner to Malaysia Ailsa Terry said the UK is dedicated to improving access to skills and education, ensuring the future readiness of the global workforce as well as encouraging social inclusivity and gender equality.

PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), Sept 28 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Thursday calls on the people to emulate the Prophet Muhammad’s noble character in speaking the truth, being honest and avoiding slander and lies. 

Al-Sultan Abdullah said words in the forms of insults, lies and slander only undermine the country’s stability and harmony. 

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia’s economy is expected to continue to moderate in the near term based on data in July and August, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).

DOSM noted that Malaysia’s economy exhibited moderate growth during the first half of 2023, expanding by 4.2 per cent.

Chief statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said the half-year performance came after a 5.6 per cent growth in the first quarter and 2.9 per cent in the second quarter.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 (NNN-Bernama) — Peace is not just the absence of war, said Poland’s Ambassador to Malaysia Krzysztof Dobrowolski, highlighting the importance of peace and cooperation in the world today.

Dobrowolski made the remarks at the International Day of Peace celebrations in Taiping on Saturday, said Poland’s Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in a statement sent to Bernama.

“It is a positive state of affairs that requires active effort to maintain. We must all work together to build a more peaceful world,” Dobrowolski was quoted as saying in the statement.