Wellington: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will be on a five-day working visit to New Zealand starting tomorrow until July 18.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Malaysian High Commissioner to New Zealand, Mazita Marzuki, stated that Ahmad Zahid’s visit is part of the government’s ongoing commitment to further strengthen bilateral diplomatic relations that have been established for 68 years with New Zealand. The visit focuses on exploring opportunities for strategic cooperation covering various fields including defence, agriculture, education, and the halal industry.

Mazita highlighted that the visit is expected to further strengthen the long-standing Malaysia-New Zealand bilateral relations across various areas of cooperation. It symbolises the continuation of the highest-level exchange of visits between the two countries, including the working visit by former Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir in May 2023.

The upcoming visit will continue the tradition of high-level exchanges, succeeding the visit by former Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters of New Zealand to Malaysia in June 2024 and the anticipated official visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to Malaysia in September 2024.

Ahmad Zahid will be accompanied by a delegation consisting of senior Malaysian government officials from several ministries. Among the key engagements planned for the Deputy Prime Minister are meetings with New Zealand’s top leaders, including Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, during his time in Wellington.

The visit will also see Ahmad Zahid’s participation as chairman of the Halal Industry Development Council in a halal forum, where a cooperation document on higher education between Malaysia and New Zealand will be signed. Engagements with New Zealand industry leaders, including the ASEAN New Zealand Business Council and the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Corporation, are also on the agenda.

Mazita informed that Ahmad Zahid, who also chairs the Central Disaster Management Committee, will visit the National Crisis Management Centre and hold a Roundtable Session with the Maori community in Rotorua. He will also meet with 250 members of the Malaysian community residing in New Zealand.

This visit aligns with Malaysia’s role as ASEAN Chair for 2025, providing an opportunity for the Malaysian Government to discuss its achievements and priorities under the theme of ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’ within the ASEAN regional framework. The visit reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening diplomatic relations and promoting strategic cooperation between Malaysia and New Zealand.

The last visit by a Malaysian top leader to New Zealand was by the late Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was Prime Minister in March 2005.