London: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will undertake a five-day working visit to the United Kingdom (UK), Malaysia’s third largest trading partner in Europe. Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK and Northern Ireland Datuk Zakri Jaafar said Anwar’s visit is at the invitation of his counterpart, Keir Starmer, who has been in office since July 2024.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the visit to the UK is the first by Anwar since becoming Prime Minister and marks his inaugural visit to a European country as ASEAN Chairman. Speaking at a press conference, Zakri noted that the visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Malaysia and the UK, covering various fields, and explore new initiatives in trade and investment following the UK’s participation in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
The Prime Minister, accompanied by key ministers including Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Senator Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, will meet Starmer at No.10, Downing Street on Wednesday. The discussions are expected to cover various bilateral issues, along with the situation in Myanmar and Palestine. The UK government, under Starmer, has suspended the sale of some weapons to Israel and requested accelerated humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank.
On Thursday, Anwar will meet Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, UK Parliament. Malaysia, as ASEAN Chairman for 2025, will discuss its chairmanship focus with the theme, ‘Inclusion and Sustainability’. Zakri revealed that total trade between the two countries until November 2024 amounted to RM15.30 billion (USD3.34 billion), though Malaysia’s exports to the UK have decreased by 4.1 per cent.
Despite the decrease in imports and exports, the trade balance favours Malaysia at RM225.3 million (USD50 million). Both parties will witness a Memorandum of Understanding exchange involving the Joint Economic Trade Committee and Other Supporting Mechanism (MUKJETCO) between MITI and the UK’s Department for Business and Trade.
The visit will also focus on attracting investment through a Round Table Meeting with UK industry leaders and events like the InvestMalaysia programmes, a solar farm project launch by TNB Malaysia, and a product launch by YTL Group UK.
Anwar will visit the Battersea Power Station, Malaysia’s largest public funds investment in Europe, and deliver a public lecture at the London School of Economics (LSE). He will also inaugurate the Malaysian Auditorium at LSE, acknowledging Malaysian alumni’s efforts.
On Friday, Anwar will engage with the Muslim community at the East London Mosque, donating a Quran with an English translation. He will also meet with around 700 Malaysians residing in the UK before heading to Brussels.