Bandar Seri Begawan - Malaysia wants to forge greater investment links with oil-rich Brunei to jointly propel socio-economic and industrial development along the northern Pan Borneo belt encompassing Sarawak, Brunei and Sabah.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said yesterday that Malaysia and Brunei had come a long way in enhancing bilateral ties and resolving issues of concern, particularly in the trans-boundary movement of people between the two neighbours.
“The main focus between Malaysia and Brunei is in the field of economy and investments.
“We have both established excellent diplomatic relationship and have already settled a lot of issues concerning the use of passports and visas between both countries,” said Syed Hamid, who accompanied Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his meeting with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah yesterday afternoon.
Malaysia now wanted Brunei to play a pivotal role in bringing direct investments from the sultanate to Sarawak and Sabah because the Malaysian Government had big plans to develop these two east Malaysian states, he added.
“Malaysia and Brunei also share many common stands on issues at international and regional levels and we are good partners in Asean and OIC, and we are both playing a major role in trying to find solutions to the crisis in Palestine, Lebanon and Darfur,” he said.
Abdullah later attended a tea reception at the Malaysian High Commission office and met Malaysian staff there before attending a dinner with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.
The premier will meet with Malaysians working in this country today and have lunch with them before returning to Kuala Lumpur.
Source: thestaronline.com (22 Agustus 2007)
