Phnom Penh, 16 January 2025 —  Samdech Rathsaphea Thipadei Khuon Sudary, President of the National Assembly, said Thursday that Cambodia looked forward to further strengthening ties with Malaysia.

Speaking at a dinner for H.E. Tan Sri Dato' (Dr.) Johari bin Abdul, the visiting Speaker of Malaysia’s House of Representatives, she reaffirmed “robust and thriving” parliamentary ties.

“This visit marks a new chapter in our parliamentary cooperation,” she said.

The National Assembly President said their bilateral talks earlier Thursday were “both productive and meaningful, conducted in the spirit of friendship, good neighborliness, and the shared values of the ASEAN family.”

Ties between Cambodia and Malaysia are “deeply rooted in history, shaped by cultural interactions and commercial exchanges,” she added. 

“Our bilateral collaboration has proven resilient, growing stronger across economic, social, and cultural dimensions. 

“However, there is still much we can do to deepen our cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, agriculture, energy, the halal industry, ICT, and digital sectors.”

On parliamentary ties, she said Cambodians “look forward to achieving even more fruitful outcomes, building upon our foundation of deep political trust, comprehensive cooperation, and people-centered partnership. 

“This path must be pursued, and the momentum needs to be sustained.”  

The National Assembly President stressed the need to strengthen ASEAN unity and centrality, as well as ASEAN-led regional architecture. 

“The world is at an inflection point,” she said.  

“We are living in the most dangerous decade. Therefore, we must strengthen open, inclusive multilateralism and rules-based international order, in which ASEAN plays an increasingly crucial role. 

“As members of the ASEAN family, we continue to support one another on various regional and international platforms, fostering deeper cooperation across a wide range of sectors. 

The National Assembly President said Cambodia strongly supported Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship with a focus on “inclusivity” and “sustainability” this year.

“I am confident that Malaysia will lead ASEAN community-building efforts to new heights,” she said.