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Ahmadul Kobir, Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s Sabah state has expressed interest in further strengthening ties with Bangladesh, with trade, investment, tourism, human capital development and people-to-people connectivity identified as promising areas for expanded cooperation.
The interest was expressed during a courtesy meeting between Bangladesh High Commissioner to Malaysia Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury and Sabah Chief Minister YAB Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor on Thursday, August 13.
Following the meeting, the Sabah government said it welcomed opportunities to deepen its relationship with Bangladesh as part of efforts to expand international partnerships and explore new avenues of cooperation.
The state government identified trade and investment, tourism, human capital development and people-to-people relations as key areas where greater engagement could produce mutual benefits.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss ways of building on the longstanding friendly relations between Bangladesh and Malaysia and creating stronger links between Bangladesh and Sabah.
YB Datuk Lo Su Fui, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, and YB Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun, Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, attended the meeting.
Representing the Bangladesh High Commission were Pranab Kumar Bhattacharjee, Counsellor (Political), and Pranab Kumar Ghosh, First Secretary (Commercial).
Sabah, located on the island of Borneo, is one of Malaysia’s key eastern states and has a diverse economy based on tourism, agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing and natural resources. These sectors offer potential opportunities for increased commercial engagement with Bangladesh.
Tourism emerges as key opportunity
Tourism was seen as one of the most promising areas for closer cooperation.
Sabah is known for its beaches, islands, rainforests, wildlife and other natural attractions, which could offer new destinations for Bangladeshi travellers.
At the same time, greater promotional and business exchanges could help attract more Malaysian visitors to Bangladesh, particularly by highlighting the country’s cultural heritage, historical sites and natural attractions.
The two sides could also explore cooperation between tourism operators, airlines, travel agencies and hospitality businesses to increase connectivity and visitor flows.
Trade and investment potential
Greater engagement between businesses and investors could provide another avenue for strengthening Sabah-Bangladesh economic ties.
Sabah’s agricultural, fisheries and resource-based industries could create opportunities for investment and commercial partnerships, while Bangladesh’s manufacturing and export-oriented sectors could benefit from stronger links with Malaysian businesses.
Business-to-business exchanges, investment forums and trade missions could help identify specific opportunities and facilitate partnerships between companies from both sides.
Human capital and people-to-people links
The large Bangladeshi community working in Malaysia provides another important dimension to the relationship.
Closer cooperation in skills development, vocational training and human resource development could help strengthen the contribution of migrant workers while creating opportunities for skilled employment.
People-to-people contacts could also be expanded through educational, cultural and professional exchanges.
Bangladesh and Malaysia have maintained longstanding friendly relations, with Malaysia remaining an important destination for Bangladeshi workers and a significant partner in trade, investment and regional cooperation.
The Sabah government’s latest expression of interest could therefore open a new subnational dimension to Bangladesh-Malaysia relations.
Greater engagement between Dhaka and Sabah could help translate the existing goodwill into concrete cooperation in trade, tourism, investment, skills development and wider people-to-people connectivity.
