Potential remains for Vietnam – Malaysia trade, tourism cooperation: former diplomat

Kuala Lumpur, (VNA) – Former Malaysian Ambassador to Vietnam Dato Azmil Zabidi has highlighted the close relationship between the two countries, stressing that trade and tourism cooperation are potential areas that need to be promoted.

In a recent interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency’s correspondents in Malaysia on the occasion of the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries (March 30, 1973-2023), Zabidi said the increasing trade turnover between Vietnam and Malaysia is an important achievement and a testament to the bilateral cooperation.

 “When I first go to Vietnam in 2011, the bilateral trade between Malaysia and Vietnam stood at about 6.6 billion USD, and then when I left at the end of January 2016, the figure has grown to somewhere between 11-12 billion USD, nearly double.”, Zabidi said

This shows that bilateral trade has been progressing in the right direction, he stressed.

Trade cooperation has contributed to connecting the two countries’ people, and attracting more and more investors to go back and forth between Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City to look for business opportunities, he said, adding that education cooperation and people-to-people exchange are also areas that should be stepped up.


According to Zabidi, before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, there were five flights between Malaysia and Vietnam in a day, which were not only operated by Vietnam’s national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, but also Malaysian airlines.

The short flight time, just one hour from Kuala Lumpur to Ho Chi Minh City, has helped attract a lot of Malaysian tourists who want to go shopping and enjoy Vietnamese cuisine in Saigon, he said.

Zabidi also emphasised the need to accelerate the resumption of flights to create favourable conditions for the two countries' people to have access to study, working, travel and investment cooperation opportunities.

He said that overseas Vietnamese (OVs) living and working in Malaysia are serving as bridges connecting the two peoples, thus further boosting the bilateral friendship.

Regarding coordination of Malaysia and Vietnam in the international arena and at multilateral forums, Zabidi affirmed that ASEAN is the first and most important forum where the two countries must show bilateral cooperation, and raise a common voice.

Two summits a year in addition to other professional meetings of ASEAN offer the two countries many chances to share views and experience, thus working closely together for a better future for their people.

The establishment of the Malaysia-Vietnam Friendship Association is a bright spot in the bilateral relations, he said, expressing his pleasure to continue contributing to the growing relationship between the two countries as an advisor of the association.

Meanwhile, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Awang Azman Awang Pawi from Malaya University of Malaysia stressed that Halal and oil exploitation are potential cooperation areas that Vietnam and Malaysia can expand in the time to come.

The expert said the two countries should focus on promoting their strategies to attract foreign investment, maintaining political stability, developing skilled human resources, and coming up with friendly business policies.

He also expressed his belief that the two countries will achieve impressive growth and become the leading economies in ASEAN.

He also suggested a number of other potential areas where the two sides can enhance cooperation, including tourism, education, renewable energy, and health care, food security and manufacturing electronics./.