Taking a page from the UK

The Star

2 days ago

Strengthening ties: Ahmad Zahid (third from right) holding a meeting with Reed (second from left) in Whitehall, England. — Bernama
Green energy, trade, tech and TVET feature in bilateral talks
LONDON: Malaysia is looking to strengthen its bilateral cooperation with the United Kingdom in several strategic sectors following a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed.
In discussing bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and the United Kingdom, Ahmad Zahid said he expressed Malaysia's commitment to become the Asean Hub for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Certification and Excellence.
"The focus will be on high-value industries such as semiconductors, electric vehicles (EV), aerospace and green energy.
"I also conveyed Malaysia's intention to expand collaboration with UK academic institutions and industries to enhance TVET training, certification and the employability of Malaysian graduates," he told reporters during a working visit here on Monday.
On rural development, Ahmad Zahid said the country is keen to learn from the UK's approach in transforming rural areas into sustainable economic growth zones.
"We also discussed matters related to disaster management, access to clean water and the use of new technologies to strengthen resilience against global climate change," he said.
Several issues concerning the environment were also discussed, especially on ways to overcome the problem of polluted rivers.
"Malaysia needs to learn how the UK dealt with rehabilitating polluted rivers.
"We need to take heed of how polluted rivers have become a thing of the past in the UK as we are still facing the same problem.
"The first step to learning from them is to raise public awareness of the problem with polluted rivers," he said.
Ahmad Zahid said both him and Reed agreed that sustainable programmes to preserve the environment were vital to moving forward.
"Both of us concurred that leaders come and go but such programmes must continue," he added.
The meeting also touched on renewable energy cooperation, including a proposal to reactivate the Asean Power Grid and explore investment opportunities in solar and green energy, he said.
"The UK's establishment of GB Energy, a national clean energy company, was noted as a positive signal of its strong commitment to the green agenda.
"I expressed Malaysia's readiness to be a strategic partner in this development," he said.
In addition, Ahmad Zahid said he highlighted the potential of Islamic financial instruments such as sukuk to support climate finance and sustainable development cooperation.
"This includes bolstering the global halal industry through the establishment of a World Halal Council and a unified halal logo, which aims to reinforce international consumer confidence in Malaysia's standards," he added.
Ahmad Zahid said both countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen trade ties, including through frameworks such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, and increasing business-to-business (B2B) engagement between the private sectors of both nations.
"I believe this meeting has opened new avenues to elevate Malaysia-UK cooperation to a more strategic level, especially in building a more inclusive, sustainable and resilient future," he said.
On Monday night, Ahmad Zahid hosted a gathering for Malaysians including 60 Mara-sponsored students based in the United Kingdom.
He advised the students about giving back to the country once they have finished their studies.
"While the salaries here (UK) might be substantially higher, returning and helping to develop the country further is priceless and much more meaningful."
Ahmad Zahid arrived in London on Sunday night for a four-day working visit to the United Kingdom.