KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Timor-Leste have agreed to explore new areas of cooperation, particularly in education, including Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the halal industry, rural development, and urban planning.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that as part of the higher education empowerment efforts, Universiti Teknikal Mara (UniKL) will award 50 scholarships to Timor-Leste students to encourage them to pursue studies in Malaysia.
"Apart from that, UniKL will act as a technology provider for the establishment of a new polytechnic in Timor-Leste which focuses on areas such as Digital Marketing, Food Technology, and Tourism Management," he said in a statement today.
Zahid, who is on a three-day official visit to the country starting yesterday, said that the initiatives were among the outcomes of his meetings with Timor-Leste leaders, including President José Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmão.
He also held discussions with Deputy Prime Minister I, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, who is also the Minister of Economic Coordination and Minister of Tourism and Environment, as well as Deputy Prime Minister II Mariano Assanami Sabino, who is also the Minister of Social Affairs and the Minister of Rural Development and Community Housing.
Zahid also said that Timor-Leste will send government-sponsored undergraduate students to UniKL to pursue studies in Chemical Engineering (Food Processing Technology), Tourism, and Business Administration through distance learning methods.
During the visit, several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed, including between Education Malaysia Global Services (EMGS) and the Human Capital Development Fund of Timor-Leste (FDCH) to facilitate an increase in the number of Timor-Leste students pursuing higher education in Malaysia.
FDCH, which provides scholarships for education and human capital development, also agreed to finance 31 Timor-Leste students to pursue Master's and Postgraduate studies in Malaysia starting this November.
Another MoU was signed between Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and the National University of Timor-Leste (UNTL) to promote and facilitate cooperation in academic, research, and training fields.
"Through this MoU, UMS also plans to introduce foundation programmes in science and social sciences in Timor-Leste, known as UMS@UNTL. UMS and UNTL will also leverage this MoU to position Timor-Leste as a regional education hub," he said.
Meanwhile, in a video of a press conference shared by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Zahid congratulated Timor-Leste on becoming a World Trade Organisation (WTO) member.
"This will facilitate Timor-Leste in expanding its business and trade worldwide," he said.
Zahid, also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, said Malaysia will invite the tribal leaders of Timor-Leste to leadership institutions in Malaysia to share their experiences related to rural development.
During his meetings with the Timor-Leste leaders, he said, they also discussed issues such as visa exemption, tourism, and improving air accessibility between Kuala Lumpur and Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste.
He also said Malaysia, which will chair Asean next year, and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim fully support Timor-Leste's efforts to become a full member of Asean and will assist the country in meeting the requirements for joining the bloc.
The Malaysian delegation comprised government officials and representatives from the Halal Development Corporation (HDC), UMS, UniKL, and PLANMalaysia.– BERNAMA