Phnom Penh — On the morning of Tuesday, October 14, 2025, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, granted an audience to H.E. Dato Seri’ Dr. Ahmad Zahid bin Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development of the Federation of Malaysia, for a courtesy call and working discussion at the Senate Palace.
H.E. Chea Thireth, Spokesperson for the Senate, stated after the meeting that Samdech Techo began by warmly welcoming the Deputy Prime Minister and his colleagues on their visit to the Kingdom of Cambodia, including their participation in various meetings in the country. Samdech Techo considered the presence of H.E. the Deputy Prime Minister and his delegation to be an important step in further strengthening and enhancing the relationship between Cambodia and Malaysia.
On the occasion, H.E. the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Rural and Regional Development of the Federation of Malaysia thanked Samdech Techo for allowing him and his delegation to pay a courtesy call. H.E. also highly valued the current strong relationship between Cambodia and Malaysia, noting that this relationship extends beyond diplomatic or political ties to a robust people-to-people connection. H.E. raised several points with Samdech Techo regarding the development of the Halal food sector in Cambodia, expressing a desire to see this sector take shape and thrive, and hoped that a committee would be established to study and promote the Halal food sector in Cambodia.
H.E. also highlighted the expansion of tourism relations, seeking to boost tourism between Cambodia and Malaysia. He noted that Malaysia is ready to welcome Cambodian tourists, especially for healthcare tourism to receive medical services in Malaysia. H.E. informed Samdech Techo that Malaysia would conduct a practical assessment to explore the possibility of establishing a Malaysian hospital in Cambodia.
In response, Samdech Techo Hun Sen agreed with the Deputy Prime Minister’s proposals to further advance bilateral relations between Cambodia and Malaysia. Samdech Techo noted that for the relations between the two countries to progress equally in both economics and politics, the expansion of economic, trade, investment, and tourism ties must also be equally promoted.
Samdech Techo also noted the increasing trade volume between Cambodia and Malaysia but expressed a desire for the governments of both countries to work toward increasing this volume further. Samdech Techo thanked Malaysia for its past support in purchasing rice from Cambodia, noting that Malaysia was the number one buyer of Cambodian rice in 2024, purchasing up to 70,000 tons. Samdech hoped that Malaysia would help purchase more agricultural products from Cambodia.
Regarding healthcare tourism, Samdech Techo agreed with the Deputy Prime Minister’s suggestion and proposed that Malaysia should establish an information center in Cambodia about healthcare services available in Malaysia. This would enable citizens interested in seeking medical treatment in Malaysia to learn more and explore their options. Concerning the Halal food sector, Samdech Techo mentioned that this issue has been raised for a long time and expressed hope that concrete results could be achieved soon through bilateral cooperation.
Regarding the Cambodia-Thailand border issue, Samdech Techo explained the situation to the Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister, including the recent updates concerning the broadcasting of “haunting sounds” or other noises from the Thai side to disturb Cambodian citizens in Chork Chey and Prey Chan villages for approximately four nights. Samdech Techo further emphasized the general state of the border issue, which remains a highly fragile concern regarding the potential for renewed conflict. Therefore, Samdech Techo informed the Deputy Prime Minister that Cambodia does not need any country, ally, or friend to condemn any other nation, but what Cambodia wants is for both sides to effectively respect the ceasefire and find a solution to return to normal relations between Cambodia and Thailand.
Samdech Techo did not forget to thank H.E. Anwar Ibrahim, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, for his active role in contributing to the resolution of the issues between Cambodia and Thailand. Samdech Techo expressed respect for the central role of the Malaysian Prime Minister, which is crucial in ensuring both the ceasefire and the overall resolution of the Cambodia-Thailand issue in his capacity as the ASEAN Chair. Samdech Techo conveyed his warm regards and profound gratitude for Malaysia’s active participation.
Finally, Samdech Techo also raised the issues of Myanmar and Timor-Leste, noting that Malaysia, as the ASEAN Chair, would facilitate Timor-Leste’s full membership in ASEAN in the near future. Samdech Techo wished the entire delegation a successful visit to Cambodia.
