Kuala Lumpur – Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz announced that he is looking forward that the visit to Malaysia would result in a quantum leap in the course of relations between the two countries.
The King’s statement came after the talks he held in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur with Prime Minister of Malaysia Mohammad Najib Abdul Razak.
“I seize the opportunity of my visit to the Palace of the Prime Minister of Malaysia to express my pride in what Malaysia has achieved of progress and renaissance as well as the status of development of relations between our two countries in all areas, looking forward that my visit to Malaysia results in a quantum leap in the course of relations between the two countries,” said Kind Salman.
During the talks, they reviewed bilateral relations and ways of enhancing them in various fields to serve the interests of the two countries and their brotherly peoples.
The session was attended by Minister of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance Sheikh Saleh bin Abdulaziz Al ash-Sheikh and Minister of State and Cabinet’s Member Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz al-Assaf.
On the Malaysian side, it was attended by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman, Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, and Malaysian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Zainal Rahim Zain Uddin.
Also, the king delivered a speech in which he said the Islamic world today faces challenges in the field of scientific and technical knowledge as well as the political and economic fields.
The universities and research centers in the Islamic countries have to respond to these challenges by accomplishing achievements that contribute to the cultural building of the Islamic nation, the Custodian added.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques received the honorary doctorate degree from Chancellor Sultan Nazrin Shah at the University of Malaya (UM).
The honorary degree was presented to King Salman as recognition of his contribution as a revolutionary and innovative leader via the numerous improvements brought about during his two-year reign as the ruler of Saudi Arabia.
He addressed the audience saying that universities represent a renaissance center for nations and do have a mission namely the contribution towards achieving the dimensions of development, consolidating national unity, strengthening of dialogue and the values of tolerance and coexistence between different peoples to achieve peace and security in the international community.
Meanwhile, UM vice-chancellor Tan Sri Mohd Amin Jalaludin in a statement expressed hope that the conferment would strengthen existing ties between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia in terms of research and exchange of academic staff.
“The conferment is expected to open new horizons in the longstanding relations between local institutions of higher learning and Saudi Arabia,” Jalaludin stated.
“This conferment is also a testimony towards the faith and trust of the Saudi government towards the high standards of the education sector, especially in the field of medicine, in producing numerous specialists in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
In addition, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) in the field of trade and investment to promote cooperation.
The MoU involves five key areas, namely healthcare, construction, education, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the Halal industry.
The MoU was signed by Minister of International Trade and Industry (MITI) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Saudi Arabia State Minister Ibrahim Abdulaziz al-Assaf, on behalf of the country’s Ministry of Commerce and Investment.
The two countries have also agreed to form a working committee under the Malaysia-Saudi Joint Commission Meeting tasked with identifying and improving understanding on trade and investment issues related to both countries as well as develop cooperation programs to further enhance economic ties.
Two other MoUs were signed between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia to further strengthen the areas of human resources and education in both countries.