Malaysia's Anwar invited Marcos for visit, says Romualdez

LABUAN BAJO —Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim invited President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to visit Malaysia to push for more trade between the two countries, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has said.

Romualdez said Marcos and Anwar had a brief talk at the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia.

"Si Prime Minister Anwar iniimbita niya si President Marcos at sana naman daw in pursuit daw of more trade between Malaysia and the Philippines," Romualdez shared to reporters.

"'Yan ang isang ehemplo kung pano makikinabang ang taong bayan kasi with more investments coming from Malaysia, more trade, magkakaroon tayo ng livelihood, trabaho at saka siyempre 'yung kapital na maidagdag sa ating ekonomiya," he added.

Romualdez said the Malaysian leader also asked the President about the situation in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

"Gaya noong mga peace process, kinakamusta ni Prime Minister Anwar sa ating mga kapatid sa BARMM sa South, at masaya naman si President Marcos na mayroon namang progress at saka gusto rin nila ipaunlad 'yung region," he said.

In March, Marcos and Anwar met at the Malacañang Palace for a bilateral meeting to further strengthen political, economic and security ties between the two countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia had said Anwar's visit to the Philippines reflected the importance of relations between the two countries as close neighbors and partners in the ASEAN.—LDF, GMA Integrated News