UK keen on cooperation with Malaysia in digital economy, says Saifuddin

UK keen on cooperation with Malaysia in digital economy, says Saifuddin

08 Nov 2021

The UK has expressed interest in enhancing economic cooperation with Malaysia, especially in the field of the digital economy, said Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

The digital economy is also one of Malaysia’s focus areas in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) and in efforts to redevelop the post-pandemic economy, he added.

“[There will be] cooperation in the digital economy in various matters, including in terms of education and information exchange, research and development and so on,” the minister said at a press conference here on Monday (Nov 8).

Earlier, Saifuddin and Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had a meeting with Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Elizabeth Truss.

Truss, who arrived in Malaysia on Sunday, is on her first visit to the Southeast Asian region since being appointed the foreign secretary of the UK in September 2021.

Saifuddin said both countries are also committed to strengthening the Commonwealth after the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This may be the right time for the Commonwealth to see renewed emphasis on a number of things. Two things were mentioned earlier in the economic and education sectors for the Commonwealth countries,” he said.

Saifuddin added that Malaysia had also expressed appreciation for the involvement of the UK in military training in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).

The FPDA was signed in 1971 by five countries, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

Source: Bernama