PUTRAJAYA, Oct 11 — Malaysia and Thailand have agreed to form several task forces to boost cooperation in agriculture, tourism, security, as well as trade and business, including the halal sector, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Thai counterpart Srettha Thavisin at the Prime Minister’s Office today, he said the two of them have set a one-month timeframe for the submission of a report on the task forces’ outcome.
“(We agreed) to set up several task forces and must complete work in one month. One month is for agriculture, tourism, security, trade and business, including the halal sector. Hopefully, it will increase trade and investment.
“We will meet after the report is submitted to PM Srettha and myself. We have many multilateral meetings — one in the (upcoming) Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — and the Asean-Japan Commemorative Summit in mid-December in Tokyo,” Anwar said, following a bilateral meeting with Srettha.
He added both Srettha and himself will compare notes to ensure the task forces are executed effectively.
The Prime Minister also extended Proton-Geely’s plan to set up a plant in Thailand to Srettha and believes it will benefit the company, with Thailand’s vast experience in the automotive industry.
“I asked them (Proton-Geely) to discuss with Srettha, and he has taken an open view on the matter,” Anwar said.
Srettha is on his maiden visit to Malaysia after being sworn in as Thailand’s Prime Minister on September 5.
He is on a five-day working visit to Hong Kong and Asean member countries. The visit began on Sunday (October 8) in Hong Kong, followed by Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore, according to Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
— Bernama
