Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam Dato’ Raja Reza bin Raja Zaib Shah said he was proud to see that the Malaysian community in the Sultanate has reached around 25,000, contributing to the development and well-being of Brunei.
“Malaysian citizens make up some of the big businesses in the country. There are also professionals from Malaysia playing important roles in various sectors including medicine, education, finance, law, construction and information technology,” he added.
He said this during the flag hoisting ceremony marking Malaysia’s 66th Independence Day celebration at the Malaysian High Commission in Brunei Darussalam at the Diplomatic Enclave in Jalan Kebangsaan.
He also hoped that Malaysians in Brunei will uphold the good name and image of Malaysia by being courteous and respectful of the law and culture.
The high commissioner also said that Brunei and Malaysia will celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations next year and believed that the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation.
Dato’ Raja Reza touted the increasing bilateral trade between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia as among the many fields of cooperation.
“The bilateral trade between Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia has grown rapidly. In 2022, Brunei was the 26th global trading partner of Malaysia with the trade volume of MYR13.22 billion.
“Meanwhile, discussion is ongoing between private sectors of both countries to explore new investment opportunities.
“The opening of Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office (STATO) in Brunei before end of this year will open the path of economic cooperation between both countries.”
The Malaysian High Commissioner also hoped to attract more Bruneians to visit Malaysia.
“As neighbours sharing a land border, I believe that more cooperation can be explored with Brunei to support tourism industries in both countries.
“Malaysia’s target this year is to attract 1.1 million Bruneian tourists. Tourism Malaysia office in Brunei has carried out several efforts and promotion to achieve this.“
He added, “From January to May, Malaysia attracted 356,257 Bruneians. I believe the trend of Brunei tourists heading to Malaysia is growing, therefore I urge Malaysians to play their role as mini ambassadors to promote Malaysia to our friends in Brunei.”
He also touched on education, saying, “Malaysia continues to be the main choice for Bruneian students to further their studies. This year, the biggest Malaysia Education Expo was held twice in February and August, receiving an overwhelming response from visitors.”
Also attending the flag hoisting ceremony were spouse of Malaysian High Commissioner Datin Roslina binti Ismail with Malaysian diplomatic officials, prominent members of the business community as well as those residing and working in the country.
Malaysian UNN consultant who has resided in the Sultanate for almost two years Jagdish Singh said he was delighted to join the Malaysia’s 66th Independence Day flag hoisting ceremony.
“I love staying in Brunei. It has been wonderful – there is so much greenery and not much traffic. Nobody honks at you while driving,” he said. “Culturally, our people are quite similar. We are polite and respect to each other.” – James Kon
