logo
Anwar's meeting with Putin ushers in new era for Malaysia-Russia relations

Anwar's meeting with Putin ushers in new era for Malaysia-Russia relations

Anwar's meeting with Putin ushers in new era for Malaysia-Russia relations
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's visit to Russia and his meeting with Vladimir Putin are historic and are expected to pave the way for stronger bilateral relations.
Unity government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said that Anwar would be the first Malaysian Prime Minister in 17 years to receive a formal guard of honour.
"The prime minister is currently in Russia for the Economic Forum in Kazan. As previously mentioned, he is the first Malaysian Head of Government in 17 years to receive a full ceremonial guard of honour. He is scheduled to meet with President Vladimir Putin today, either in the afternoon or early evening, and the meeting will be broadcast live by RTM.
"This is a historic moment that will undoubtedly open up opportunities for closer ties, including stronger trade relations between the two countries," he said during the Ministry of Communications' weekly press conference today.
The visit marks Anwar's second trip to Russia in eight months and his first official visit since taking office in November 2022.
It is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties, boosting economic cooperation, and enhancing Malaysia's engagement with the Islamic world, particularly through platforms like KazanForum 2025.
In a separate matter, Fahmi said that the cabinet had issued a reminder regarding the arrival of heads of government and heads of state for the Asean-GCC and Asean-GCC-China Economic Summits, which will take place from May 25 to 27. They will arrive in Kuala Lumpur via Subang Airport or KLIA.
He said that certain routes would be designated at specific times to facilitate their travel.
"The Education Ministry will soon announce which schools will be granted flexibility to conduct online learning or PdPR (home-based teaching and learning).
"Last week, the Public Service Department also issued a circular permitting civil servants at affected premises or offices to work from home.
"Private companies, particularly those in the Klang Valley, are encouraged to consider allowing their employees to work from home to help reduce congestion," he added.
Fahmi also encouraged the public to use public transport during the summit period.
ends/.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Anwar congratulates Harimau Malaya on 4-0 win over Vietnam
Anwar congratulates Harimau Malaya on 4-0 win over Vietnam

New Straits Times

time13 minutes ago

  • New Straits Times

Anwar congratulates Harimau Malaya on 4-0 win over Vietnam

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has congratulated the national football team on their recent feat in defeating Vietnam in the Asian Cup Group F qualifier. In a Facebook post, Anwar described Harimau Malaya's performance during last night's match as the beginning of a stronger comeback. "Congratulations, Harimau Malaya. Let yesterday's victory be the start of a more glorious comeback," he said. Meanwhile, Bernama reported that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) expressed its gratitude to Anwar and the Malaysian government for their full assistance and support, which contributed to Harimau Malaya's resounding 4-0 victory over Vietnam at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium. In a statement, FAM announced that apart from financial support through special allocations for Harimau Malaya, the government also facilitated the documentation process for new heritage players, enabling them to feature in the second Group F match of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Final Qualifiers in Saudi Arabia. "It is hoped that the full support from the country's top leadership and fans will continue to inspire Harimau Malaya's performance in upcoming international matches, en route to becoming one of the giants of Asian football," the statement read. Before more than 60,000 spectators yesterday, Malaysia ended an 11-year winless streak against Vietnam with goals from Joao Figueiredo in the 49th minute, Rodrigo Holgado (59th), Corbin Ong (67th), and Dion Cools (89th). The result puts Malaysia at the top of Group F with six points, while Vietnam sits in second place with three.

Unemployment rate hits 10-year low at 3% in April
Unemployment rate hits 10-year low at 3% in April

Free Malaysia Today

time32 minutes ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Unemployment rate hits 10-year low at 3% in April

Chief statistician Uzir Mahidin said the labour force is expected to remain optimistic and expand in the coming months, bolstered by strong economic policies and stable domestic demand. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Malaysia's unemployment rate dropped from 3.1% in March to 3% in April, the lowest in 10 years, according to a report released by the statistics department today. Chief statistician Uzir Mahidin said the number of unemployed people decreased by 0.7% to 525,900 in April 2025, compared with 529,600 in March. 'A promising national economic position has contributed to stable progress in Malaysia's labour force, with an increase in the number of employed people and higher labour force participation rates, while unemployment continues to decrease,' Bernama reported him as saying. Uzir said labour force numbers continued their upward trend in April, increasing by 0.2% to 17.34 million people compared with 17.31 million in March. 'Consequently, the labour force participation rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 70.8% compared with 70.7% in March,' he said. In terms of the economic sector, Uzir said the services sector remained a key driver of employment growth, particularly in wholesale and retail trade, accommodation, food and beverage services, as well as transportation and storage activities. He said positive trends were also recorded across the manufacturing, construction, agriculture and mining and quarrying sectors. Uzir said the unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 24 years remained unchanged at 10.3% in April 2025, with 298.3 thousand unemployed youths. He said the number of people outside the labour force rose to 7.17 million in April compared with 7.16 million the previous month, mainly due to housework and family responsibilities, which accounted for 43.7%, followed by schooling and training reasons at 41.1%. Uzir said the country's labour force was expected to remain optimistic and expand in the coming months, bolstered by strong economic policies and stable domestic demand. 'Despite global geopolitical tensions, Malaysia's labour force is expected to remain resilient due to stable unemployment, the growing services sector, and technology, as well as an increasing investment in digitalisation and automation,' he said.

Apec finance ministers to unveil new roadmap
Apec finance ministers to unveil new roadmap

Free Malaysia Today

time37 minutes ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Apec finance ministers to unveil new roadmap

Deputy finance minister Lim Hui Ying said both Apec and Asean play a critical role in providing platforms for coordinated and collective action among their members. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) finance ministers will unveil a new roadmap in October to replace the existing Cebu Action Plan, deputy finance minister Lim Hui Ying said today. The five-year plan identifies medium-term initiatives and deliverables aimed at achieving Apec's Putrajaya Vision of 'an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community', she said. 'It is critical for Asean members to work together within Apec, to ensure that our common priorities in Southeast Asia are well-embedded in this new Asia Pacific roadmap and that initiatives in Asean and Apec are consistent with each other and mutually supportive,' she said at the Asean-BAC and Asia Pacific Financial Forum here. She said that both Apec and Asean play a critical role in providing platforms for coordinated and collective action among their members, as well as for enhanced government and regulatory engagement with the private sector. She added that new business models and rapid advances in technology could help redesign financing solutions to better serve micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and marginalised consumers. Lim said digital technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, as well as new products such as crypto and tokenised assets and digital currencies carried risks that were not yet fully understood. 'Enabling their safe and effective deployment would also require legal, policy and regulatory reforms, changes in industry practices and collaborative efforts to educate consumers, industry practitioners and regulators.' 'Private sector also to blame for Asean policy failures' Separately, Asean-BAC chair Nazir Razak said that while governments often faced scrutiny for policy shortcomings, private companies in the region were also responsible for failures to follow through on initiatives. 'As we contend with tech disruptions amid a backdrop of diminishing trust, the actions of state and regional actors are crucial. Poor execution and follow through will prove very costly.' He also lamented the slowdown in intra-Asean trade and investments and the ability of regional companies to attract investment into the region. However, he highlighted bright spots such as the expanding Asean QR code linkage as a critical milestone towards seamless payment connectivity. 'Digitalisation is the great enabler of financial inclusion but only if we ensure that it lifts all boats, not just the large or connected.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store