Kuala Lumpur: Amid a rousing and colourful welcome in Kuala Lumpur befitting the warm relations between South Africa and Malaysia, the stage was set for a profound reaffirmation of ties between the two countries. The leaders of the two countries, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, drew on the deep history of a shared resistance to slavery, apartheid, and colonialism to pave way for deeper and more collaborative future ties.
According to South African Government News Agency, President Ramaphosa is on a Working Visit to the country as he wraps up a three-nation visit to Southeast Asia. ‘I wish to thank you.for the invitation that you extend it to us as South Africans and for the very warm welcome that we witnessed as we were coming in. We have hardly been able to see such a warm welcome which was displayed not only by your ministers and key officials but by young people at school and at universities. So that truly warmed our hearts,’ President Ramaphosa remarked during a joint press briefing with the Prime Minister.
The history between the two countries dates back hundreds of years which the President described as a ‘shared resistance to the atrocities of slavery, and colonialism’. During the times of slavery in the 1700s and 1800s, thousands of Malaysian people were forcefully taken to South Africa and later became known as the Cape Malay. Some years later, the Malaysian government would also assist anti-apartheid efforts in South Africa – forging bonds of solidarity between the two nations.
‘We will forever remain grateful to the people and the government of Malaysia, for your support in our struggle for freedom, but also in the formative years of our democracy,’ President Ramaphosa said. Relations between the two countries were formalised in November 1998 and the President called for a revitalisation and strengthening of ties.
‘We have reconfirmed that trade and investment opportunities need to be expanded between our countries. Particularly during this period of geological tensions and challenges where trade is being used as a weapon. We do believe, as you do too, that we need to expand our market base and having been so closely related to one another and to tapered down over the years, we would like to recalibrate that and make sure that our ties get stronger and stronger. So, South Africa will strive to further strengthen our existing collaboration in the many areas of common interest. The momentum which these consultations have generated should not be lost,’ President Ramaphosa noted.
He emphasised that South Africa places ‘great importance’ on its relations with the Southeast Asian nation. ‘It is my hope that we will continue to strengthen our friendship and our cooperation in as two nations. With the various exchanges that we should have, it would be most fitting that we rekindle also our people-to-people relations especially in education. As you talk about exchanges between universities, at the research level, at student exchange level, and we should also broaden the exchanges at the culture level and also the sport level,’ he said.
Malaysia – at the invitation of South Africa – is expected to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. ‘We await to welcome you there together with the business delegation that you’re going to bring which will help to solidify our relations at a trade and investment level. Our ministers are going to be fully engaged in crafting memoranda of understanding in a number of areas. In extending the friendship and cooperation between us, I wish to extend to you an invitation, to visit South Africa at a state level visit in 2026.and we will be honoured to welcome you to the most beautiful country in the world, South Africa,’ President Ramaphosa said.
