Yesterday, I led a DAP delegation for a bilateral discussion with Indian Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan in Kuala Lumpur.
I was joined by fellow DAP leaders; NS Senator B Kesavadas Nair, YB Veerapan, YB Guna and G. Saminathan in the meeting with the Minister and representatives of the Indian government; High Commissioner of India to Malaysia, BN Reddy, the Deputy High Commissioner and staff.
The one-hour meeting held at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur included topics of public importance.
One of the most important issues discussed was the special visa facilitation and consular services for elderly Malaysians that want to visit India. The Indian Commission has given their assurance that they will assist on this matter. We will look to raise further improvements on consular services generally as we work closely together.
The commission agreed to go to all states in Malaysia to explain the process to apply for the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards. They will be coming to Ipoh soon.
Other issues discussed included bilateral matters. Also discussed were special medical seats for Malaysians to pursue medical studies in India, to facilitate Indian investments in the country.
I was told that many Indian businessmen especially in semiconductor industries, are keen to invest in Malaysia but our process is not the easiest. In order to ensure we facilitate these investments, I will bring this up with the Malaysian government.
I also informed the Indian delegation that in 2019, I led a delegation to New Delhi to study the success of Inia’s targeted subsidy implementation. I was accompanied by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) then when I met numerous ministers.
I hope that meeting with be the first of many in which many more bilateral matters can be addressed which can lead to the significant promise of strengthening the relationship between the two countries. Through dialogue and collaboration, we have laid the groundwork for pursuing common goals and addressing shared challenges. The meeting is expected to yield several positive outcomes:
By nurturing diplomatic relations we can foster greater understanding and appreciation between our countries to promote peace, goodwill, and long-lasting bonds.
I hope with this, we have laid the foundation of building a stronger, more productive relationship between the two countries. I hope that through continued engagement and cooperation, we can achieve shared objectives, deepen mutual understanding, and create a brighter future for both nations.