Latest news with #ISISMalaysia
The Sun
7 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Malaysia and Bangladesh sign eight MoUs to enhance bilateral ties
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Bangladesh have signed eight memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to boost cooperation in key sectors. The agreements cover defence, energy, higher education, diplomacy, halal development, and private sector collaboration. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Bangladesh Chief Adviser Prof Dr Muhammad Yunus witnessed the signing ceremony. The MoU on Defence Cooperation was signed by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Bangladesh Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain. Another key agreement involves LNG, petroleum products, and related infrastructure, signed by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan. Higher education and diplomatic training agreements were formalised by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. Cooperation in the halal ecosystem was sealed through an Exchange of Note by Deputy Minister Dr Zulkifli Hasan. Strategic research collaboration was established between ISIS Malaysia and the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies. Business sector agreements were signed between MIMOS Services and the Bangladesh-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Trade between Malaysia and Bangladesh grew by 5.1% to RM13.35 billion in 2024. Bangladesh is Malaysia's second-largest trading partner in South Asia. Key exports include petroleum products, palm oil, and chemicals, while imports consist of textiles and footwear. Dr Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia. The agreements mark a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations. Both nations aim to enhance trade, investment, and human capital development. The visit underscores Malaysia's commitment to deepening ties with South Asia. - Bernama
New Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Malaysia, Kyrgyz Republic ink 10 MoUs to strengthen bilateral ties
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and the Kyrgyz Republic have strengthened bilateral ties with the signing of 10 strategic cooperation documents during the official visit of Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov. The agreements, formalised in the presence of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and President Zhaparov, span a wide range of sectors, including tourism, higher education, healthcare, digital transformation, cybersecurity, trade and export development. Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan inked several key memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Zheenbek Kulubaev. Also present at the ceremony were Kyrgyz Economy and Trade Minister Bakyt Sydykov, Digital Development and Innovative Technologies Minister Azamat Jamangulov, and Culture, Information and Youth Policy Minister Mirbek Mambetaliev. Among the highlights was an MoU between the Centre for Export Development and Promotion (Kyrgyz Export) and the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), expected to become a pivotal driver of bilateral trade. In the education sector, collaboration was enhanced through an MoU between Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Kyrgyz Science, Higher Education and Innovation Minister Baktiyar Orozov. Healthcare cooperation was also reinforced, with Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Kyrgyz Health Minister Erkin Checheibaev signing an agreement to expand joint initiatives in medical services and health systems. A strategic partnership was sealed between the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS Malaysia) and the National Institute for Strategic Initiatives (NISI), which operates under the Kyrgyz presidency. The MoU was signed by ISIS Malaysia chairman Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah and Kyrgyz Justice Minister Aiaz Baetov. The private sector was not left behind, as the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and the Kyrgyz Chamber of Commerce and Industry formalised an MoU to boost trade and business links. The agreement was signed by NCCIM president Datuk Seri N. Gobalakrishnan and his Kyrgyz counterpart, Temir Sariev. In addition, both countries signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, as well as an Exchange of Notes (EoN) on diplomatic training and youth development.
The Sun
22-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
MIER struggling to stay afloat, says chairman
KUALA LUMPUR: After four decades of shaping Malaysia's economic and social policies, the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) is now struggling to stay afloat. MIER chairman Tan Sri Effendi Norwawi said MIER – one of the country's two independent think tanks alongside ISIS Malaysia – is now sustained not by public funds, but by personal contributions from its board of trustees. 'As trustees, we personally advance funds to keep operations running. We do this pro bono because we are deeply passionate about ensuring MIER continues to serve its national role,' he told SunBiz in a recent interview. Once the go-to source for independent data behind the Malaysia Plans and industrial blueprints, MIER now operates with zero core funding. Its annual government grant? Gone. Its project pipeline? Shrinking. Its staff? Whittled down after years of financial strain. Without regular government grants, Effendi said, MIER is surviving only because its board members are personally funding it. 'We used to receive an annual grant. That stopped. While we're still in talks with the government, in the meantime, we've had to raise our own funds.' He said the board is now mostly focused on survival, meeting weekly just to manage basic sustainability. 'There were times we ran out of money. When that happens, we step in ourselves. The board meets almost every week now just to ensure MIER stays alive,' he said. Today, MIER is overseen by a board of trustees comprising former senior civil servants and industry leaders, including former Economic Planning Unit director-general Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob; Royal Selangor founder and former Pemudah co-chair Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon; former Johor menteri besar Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Othman; former Treasury official and economist Datuk Dr M. Shanmughalingam; and Sarawak Deputy State Secretary (Economic Planning and Development) Datuk Sri Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel. Effendi said the current leadership is working unpaid, out of passion and duty. 'We are only volunteers. We do our best. But if we're unable to raise funds and keep MIER going, there's a real risk we may not survive, which would be very sad for the country.' Despite its financial strain, Effendi said, MIER remains actively engaged in policy work. It is currently advising the Ministry of Finance on the Sales and Service Tax and the Goods and Services Tax deliberations, and has submitted proposals to agencies such as Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) 'Our input is valued because we're close to industry and remain neutral. We engage as professionals.' The institute is also in talks with state governments such as Sarawak and Terengganu and financial institutions including Affin Bank. 'We engage with these institutions to see how we can support them whether at the national policy level or in operational matters. For example, we produce GDP (gross domestic product) reports, consumer confidence and business indexes, which banks use to advise their clients.' MIER is now planning a national economic conference in collaboration with Affin Bank, bringing together local and global experts. 'We hope to gather domestic and international voices to discuss the most pressing topics for national policy and business.' The think tank will also continue to publish its quarterly reports. 'Our strength is our network. We have access to the best minds across fields, economic, social, sustainability, artificial intelligence, innovation thanks to our ties with universities. 'When the government gives us a task, we can deliver fresh insights backed by the country's best thinkers.' Effendi remains hopeful that MIER's track record, independence and institutional memory will continue to be recognised and supported. 'This is the value MIER brings. This is our national role. We just want the chance to keep doing it.' Former chairman Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob shared that the think tank has been facing long-standing financial difficulties and lacks a stable source of funding. 'We don't have a permanent income or a fixed government provision for planning. If the government gives us something, it helps, but we still have to go out and find our own projects,' he told SunBiz. He said MIER's financial reserves were severely impacted by past economic crises, including the 1997–98 Asian Financial Crisis, the 2008–09 Global Financial Crisis and, most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. 'Our endowment funds were placed with fund managers, but they were affected when the stock market collapsed,' he said. 'During Covid, we couldn't carry out any projects for nearly two and a half years. People weren't coming into the office, but we still had to pay rent, utilities and full wages.' As a result, key staff left and many projects dried up. 'When we ran out of money, many directors resigned. Our core management team moved on. It's not that we lost capacity – we just couldn't afford to keep them,' he said. Sulaiman noted that although the government continues to help, most recently with a RM1 million allocation, MIER's long-term financial footing remains shaky. 'The government still helps, but differently now. If they need research, they fund it. If not, there's no support,' he said. 'Private companies also don't offer many projects anymore. They have their own in-house research teams. Banks, for instance, used to rely on us. Now they have economic departments of their own.' Even so, he said, demand for independent voices is growing again as the economy becomes more complex and volatile. 'People are starting to come back to us. They want a balanced view, not just the official government narrative, but also a private, independent one.' Sulaiman believes Malaysia urgently needs more independent research bodies to keep national economic debates diverse and robust. 'We only have two think tanks – ISIS and MIER. But ISIS is government-funded. MIER is the only truly independent one. 'Other countries like Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines have many. We need at least five or six independent think tanks to give fresh, competing perspectives.' He said the private sector should also step up to support institutions such as MIER. 'Companies that benefit from a strong economy like oil, palm oil, manufacturing should help us. There are tax incentives for donations. But they're not coming forward. 'Saying the government no longer helps isn't accurate. They still help. But the private sector is lagging. It needs to do more.' For Malaysia to make better long-term decisions, he said, there must be room for more than one voice. 'Right now, we rely on a single source. That makes it harder to respond to new challenges. We need more free-thinking institutions to offer alternative forecasts, models and solutions.' 'That's why MIER must continue to exist. It's one of the last independent voices in the country.
Focus Malaysia
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
Anwar slams Israeli strikes on Iran as ‘punitive, unprovoked'
PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has strongly condemned the recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory, calling such actions 'punitive' and 'unprovoked' acts that violate international law and undermine diplomatic efforts. Bernama reported Anwar as saying the Israeli attacks were clearly intended to derail ongoing talks and shatter hopes for a peaceful resolution in the region. 'Such actions, carried out with utter impunity, constitute a blatant violation of international law, further eroding the norms that hold the global order together,' the news agency quoted him as saying during his keynote address at the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) on Thursday (June 19). 'We call on those with power and influence to speak plainly and act decisively to restrain further escalation.' Also present at the roundtable session were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Chairman of ISIS Malaysia Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah. Meanwhile, on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Anwar expressed deep concern over the relentless nature of the Israeli military campaign, describing it as a tragedy that has inflicted a devastating toll on a defenceless population. 'The staggering civilian casualties, overwhelmingly women and children, demand far more than pious proclamations of concern,' he remarked. 'They require concerted international action to uphold humanitarian law, secure an immediate ceasefire, and ensure the unfettered delivery of aid to those in desperate need.' Anwar further warned that the credibility of the so-called rules-based international order is now 'on trial', urging global powers to act decisively to prevent further escalation. Drawing attention to the situation in the Asia Pacific, Anwar said the same pressures are playing out with different scripts. 'In the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea, familiar flashpoints flicker. Here, as ever, we must insist on the primacy of dialogue over disruption, of law over disorder, of restraint over escalation,' he reportedly said. The prime minister went on to stress that Malaysia believes the future of this region lies not in hardened blocs or fragile balances, but in a security architecture that is inclusive, predictable, and anchored in rules—one in which active non-alignment is not merely tolerated but enabled to thrive. 'While we do not pretend to be able to reshape the region to fit our ideals, we can act to prevent its worst outcomes. Stability is not guaranteed, but neither is chaos inevitable,' he emphasised. 'What we do now—how we manage tensions, balance relationships, and defend our interests—will decide how the region weathers the storms ahead.' ‒ June 19, 2025
Malaysian Reserve
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Malaysian Reserve
PM Anwar slams Israeli strikes on Iran as ‘punitive, unprovoked'
KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (picture) on Thursday strongly condemned the recent Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory, describing them as 'punitive' and 'unprovoked' acts that violate international law and undermine diplomatic efforts. Anwar said the Israeli attacks were clearly intended to derail ongoing talks and shatter hopes for a peaceful resolution in the region. 'Such actions, carried out with utter impunity, constitute a blatant violation of international law, further eroding the norms that hold the global order together. 'We call on those with power and influence to speak plainly and act decisively to restrain further escalation,' he said in his keynote address at the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) here on Thursday. Also present were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and Chairman of ISIS Malaysia Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah. Shifting focus to the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Anwar expressed deep concern over the relentless Israeli military campaign, calling it a tragedy that has inflicted a devastating toll on a defenceless population. 'The staggering civilian casualties, overwhelmingly women and children, demand far more than pious proclamations of concern. 'They require concerted international action to uphold humanitarian law, secure an immediate ceasefire, and ensure the unfettered delivery of aid to those in desperate need,' he said. Anwar warned that the credibility of the so-called rules-based international order is now 'on trial,' urging global powers to act decisively to prevent further escalation. Drawing attention to the situation in the Asia Pacific, Anwar said the same pressures are playing out with different scripts. 'In the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea, familiar flashpoints flicker. Here, as ever, we must insist on the primacy of dialogue over disruption, of law over disorder, of restraint over escalation,' he said. He added that Malaysia believes the future of this region lies not in hardened blocs or fragile balances, but in a security architecture that is inclusive, predictable, and anchored in rules – one in which active non-alignment is not merely tolerated but enabled to thrive. 'While we do not pretend to be able to reshape the region to fit our ideals, we can act to prevent its worst outcomes. Stability is not guaranteed, but neither is chaos inevitable. 'What we do now – how we manage tensions, balance relationships, and defend our interests – will decide how the region weathers the storms ahead,' he said. — BERNAMA
