Manama: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stated that the proposal to reinstate direct flights between Malaysia and Bahrain is still under consideration. This topic was brought up during Anwar’s official meeting with Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, at the Gudaibiya Palace.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar mentioned that there is potential for direct flight services and discussions are ongoing with Gulf Air about this possibility. The Crown Prince has expressed interest in strengthening flight connectivity, and Anwar confirmed that assessments are being made to determine if Malaysia Airlines or other carriers could establish such routes.

Anwar’s visit to Bahrain, which began early yesterday, was arranged following an invitation from the Crown Prince. During this visit, Anwar engaged with the Malaysian diaspora in Bahrain, which currently consists of 297 individuals, including three students pursuing higher education.

Additionally, Anwar shared that the Crown Prince of Bahrain has plans to visit Kuala Lumpur in May for the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the ASEAN-GCC+ China Summit. This visit was discussed during their meeting, and the Crown Prince’s participation highlights the importance of the GCC region as a partner for Malaysia and ASEAN.

The discussions also included potential areas for enhanced cooperation, with Anwar expressing hopes for collaboration in sectors such as education, artificial intelligence, tourism, economy, investment, finance, Islamic banking, and the halal industry.