Latest news with #NabilahSaleh
Barnama
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Japan's Ceapad A Unique Platform For Palestine's Capacity Building, Long-term Development
GENERAL By Nabilah Saleh KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- Japan views the upcoming Fourth Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD), which it will co-host with Malaysia, as a unique and strategic platform to strengthen capacity building and sustainable development in Palestine, going beyond emergency relief. The conference, scheduled to take place here Friday, will be held in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and related meetings. Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata said CEAPAD stands apart from other forums by focusing on long-term solutions, including institutional resilience, education, and economic self-reliance for the Palestinian people. He noted that Japan has long collaborated with institutional organisations such as the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the World Bank to support institutional development in Palestine. 'CEAPAD is a unique platform. While the situation in Palestine is often addressed in political or humanitarian terms, this forum focuses on what comes after, on capacity building and institutional strengthening. 'Japan has been working with UNRWA, the World Bank, and other institutional organisations to help Palestinians, and CEAPAD complements those efforts by bringing in perspectives and expertise from East Asian countries,' he told Bernama in an exclusive interview recently. He added that Japan, as the initiator of CEAPAD in 2013, is committed to working with partners like Malaysia to coordinate recovery and reconstruction, particularly amid the current devastation in Gaza. 'Given the scale of destruction, it is crucial that we help the Palestinian people rebuild their lives with dignity. Malaysia has been a consistent CEAPAD participant since the beginning, and we value this shared commitment to the Palestinian cause,' he said.
Barnama
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Japan Stands With ASEAN On Myanmar, Looks To Deepen FOIP-AOIP Engagement
By Nabilah Saleh KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- Japan has reaffirmed its full support for ASEAN's central role in addressing the protracted crisis in Myanmar, while expressing readiness to deepen regional cooperation through its Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy aligned with ASEAN's own Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata said Tokyo remains committed to ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus (5PC) and has maintained diplomatic channels with various stakeholders in Myanmar to ensure dialogue and humanitarian access. 'Japan has been consistently engaged on the Myanmar issue in close coordination with ASEAN, particularly through the Five-Point Consensus. 'While we have our own channels of communication with all stakeholders in Myanmar, we fully support ASEAN's central role and initiatives,' he told Bernama in an exclusive interview recently. He acknowledged that progress has been slow since the 2021 military coup but stressed that Japan's approach centres on long-term humanitarian and development support for the people of Myanmar. 'We understand the complexity, and while progress has been limited, we hope that under Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, some traction can be made,' Shikata said. Malaysia has stepped up diplomatic efforts on Myanmar, engaging both the military leadership and the National Unity Government (NUG) in pursuit of an inclusive political solution. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held separate meetings with representatives from both sides, urging an extended ceasefire to allow humanitarian aid to reach conflict-affected areas.
Barnama
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Japan's Iwaya To Visit Malaysia For 58th AMM, Co-host CEAPAD IV
By Nabilah Saleh KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Bernama) -- Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will arrive in Malaysia on Wednesday (July 9) to attend the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and related meetings, and to co-host the Fourth Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD IV). Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia Noriyuki Shikata told Bernama that the visit marks Iwaya's first official trip to Malaysia since his appointment as Foreign Minister last October. Shikata said the visit emphasises Japan's strong support for ASEAN centrality and highlights the close bilateral ties between Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur. 'This visit reflects Japan's deep engagement with Southeast Asia and our commitment to working closely with Malaysia on key regional and global issues - from humanitarian support and energy transition to education and maritime security,' he said in an exclusive interview here yesterday. Malaysia is hosting the 58th AMM at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) from July 8 to 11. Malaysia took over the role of ASEAN Chair on Jan 1 this year from Laos. This year is Malaysia's fifth ASEAN Chairmanship, having assumed the role in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. Japan became ASEAN's first dialogue partner in 1973, formalising the partnership in 1977.
Barnama
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
UK Opens Doors to More Malaysian Students Amid US Policy Shift
By Nabilah Saleh KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) -- The United Kingdom (UK) is widening its doors to Malaysian students by expanding its university footprint and tailoring academic opportunities to meet their evolving needs. British High Commissioner to Malaysia Ajay Sharma said the UK is ready to welcome more Malaysian students amid shifting global study trends, as the United States (US) tightens its visa policies. bootstrap slideshow 'We want to have more Malaysian students in the UK. We want to have more UK universities here in Malaysia. 'We want to make sure that the educational links get stronger and stronger, but most importantly, that they respond to the needs of people here,' he told Bernama after appearing on Bernama TV's programme The Diplomatic Dispatch here on Thursday. Sharma said that the UK, known for its academic excellence and globally recognised qualifications, remains an attractive destination for higher education and is ready to accommodate students who may be reconsidering the US or other countries due to recent developments. 'We're very happy to welcome more Malaysian students if they choose to come because of what's happening in the US or elsewhere in the world,' he said. According to data from the UK Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for the 2023/24 academic year, a total of 12,760 Malaysian students were enrolled in UK higher education institutions, placing Malaysia among the top ten non-EU source countries. Recalling his recent discussion with Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, Sharma disclosed that they were exploring deeper collaboration and facilitating greater access for Malaysian students to UK institutions.
Barnama
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Barnama
Malaysia Deeply Regrets UN Security Council's Repeated Failure to Act on Gaza
By Nabilah Saleh PUTRAJAYA, June 5 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has expressed deep regret over the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) repeated failure to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the unconditional entry of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave. In a strongly-worded statement Thursday, Malaysia's Foreign Ministry, Wisma Putra, said the repeated failure of the Security Council to respond to one of the most devastating human tragedies since the Second World War, as a result of the exercise of veto, was indeed regrettable and deeply disappointing. bootstrap slideshow 'Malaysia strongly opposes the Zionist Israeli regime's murder of civilians, their genocide and the perpetration of mass starvation and blockade of humanitarian aid as weapons of war,' the ministry's statement read. The United States (US) on Wednesday vetoed a UNSC draft resolution that called for an 'immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire' in the Gaza Strip, according to international media reports. The draft, proposed by Slovenia on behalf of the Council's 10 elected members - Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, Pakistan, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Slovenia - received 14 votes in favour. The resolution expressed 'grave concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation, including the risk of famine' and recalled the obligations of all parties to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law. Wisma Putra said despite the failure of the Security Council, Malaysia stressed that the international community must not relent in efforts to restore peace, security, and stability in the Middle East. It said the Zionist Israeli regime must realise that the only path to lasting peace and stability in the Middle East is through the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
