Malaysia Bilateral Linkages

Photo credit

• Bilateral Linkages
• Trade and Economic
• Defence
• Education
• Science and Technology
• Tourism
• Bilateral Agreements

Malaysia Bilateral Linkages

Malaysia is important to New Zealand for strategic, political and economic reasons. It is one of the Southeast Asian countries best known to New Zealanders. There is a history of close and friendly links, stemming originally from Commonwealth ties, the Colombo Plan and shared security concerns. New Zealand deployed troops in the country during the "Malayan Emergency" (1948-1960), and during the "Confrontation" period in the 1960s. These early connections have been built on and enhanced. The relationship is friendly, has many aspects, and is significant to New Zealand. High-level visits from and to Malaysia, have cemented the bilateral relationship between New Zealand and Malaysia.

To Malaysia

• Miister of Trade, Hon Tim Groser, in March 2012.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Murray McCully in October 2010.
• Prime Minister Rt Hon John Key and Minister of Trade, Hon Tim Groser, in October 2009 to sign the Malaysia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.
• Minister of Defence, Hon Dr Wayne Mapp, in June 2009 for Five Power Defence Arrangement Ministerial Meeting.
• Minister of Education, Hon Anne Tolley, in June 2009 for the Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers.
• Rt Hon Helen Clark (then Prime Minister) visited Malaysia in July 2007.

To New Zealand

• The 13^th Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia, His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, and Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili, Minister of Science, stayed in New Zealand on their visit to Antarctica in November 2011
• Deputy Minister of Finance, Dato' Seri Ahmad Husni bin Mohamad Hanadzlah, in May 2011.
• Minister of Tourism, Hon. Dr Ng Yen Yen, in August 2010.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dato’ Sri Anifah Hj Aman, in June 2010.
• Deputy Minister of Human Resources, Dato’ Maznah Mazlan, in October 2009 to sign the Agreement on Labour Cooperation.
• Deputy Speaker of the Malaysian Parliament, Datuk Ronald Kiandee, in August 2009.
• Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Dato’ Hamzah Zainudin, in July 2009 for technical discussions on plantation forestry
• His Excellency Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, Crown Prince of the State of Perak, visited New Zealand to deliver Victoria University's annual Halim Saad lecture in October 2008.
• Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi visited New Zealand in March/April 2005, accompanied by the Minister of International Trade and Industry Dato' Seri Rafidah Aziz, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Tan Sri Muhyiddin and the Minister of Plantation and Industry Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui.
• A delegation was led by the Minister of Plantation and Industry to look at forestry initiatives in New Zealand in 2005.
• Agriculture Minister Muhyiddin visited New Zealand in April 2007.
• Rural and Regional Development Minister Syamsuddin visited in November 2007.