The UP Asian Center, in partnership with the Embassy of Malaysia in Manila, celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Philippines and Malaysia’s diplomatic relations through the forum “60 Years of Malaysia-Philippines Relations: Deepening Cooperation in a Dynamic World” last 5 December 2024 at the GT-Toyota Asian Center Auditorium. 

The forum was graced by the presence of His Excellency H.E. Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of Malaysia in the Philippines, as well as ambassadors and representatives from the Embassies of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. Philippine Tourism Secretary Hon. Christina Garcia Frasco also graced the event with her presence.

Seeking to create a rich dialogue with various stakeholders, the program was opened to the public. Participants from the government, the private sector, the academe, students, and the media sectors of both countries attended the event.

His Excellency Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Embassy of Malaysia in the Philippines welcomed everyone and officially opened the ceremonies. In his remarks, he highlighted the current developments and future opportunities for cooperation between Malaysia and the Philippines. Ambassador Castelino acknowledged that the relationship between the two countries has been sustained through the years by collaborative endeavors, cultural exchange, and mutual respect.

 Gearing towards Malaysia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN

The first panel sought to discuss the strategic agenda of Malaysia, as well as the opportunities and challenges towards a more secure regional policy environment, stronger economic integration, and closer collaboration with ASEAN member states. The panel was moderated by Ms. Nadhirah Zanudin, political counsellor at the Embassy of Malaysia in Manila.

Undersecretary of the High-Level Task Force of the ASEAN Community's Post 2025 Vision, His Excellency Dato' Mohd Suhaimi Jaafar, delivered the first presentation where he emphasized the pressing need for ASEAN centrality amid growing uncertainties posed to the region by power rivalry, climate change, and geopolitical tensions. He also reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to fostering dialogue and encouraging mutual understanding between ASEAN member states towards inclusive and sustainable development for its people.

This was succeeded by Dr. Joefe Santarita, Professor and Former Dean of the Asian Center, who focused on the opportunities following Malaysia’s incoming ASEAN chairmanship. He acknowledged the indispensable role of the chairmanship in developing regional resilience and stability amidst challenges. With this, Dr. Santarita called for stronger legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms, improved systems of conflict prevention and resolution, inclusivity in human rights and governance, and a multilateral regional framework (e.g. the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation or TAC) for ASEAN.

The third discussion focused on security relations between Malaysia and the Philippines. Asian Center Assistant Professor Dr. Aaron Jed Rabena examined the armed forces of both countries who have been actively collaborating to tackle the diversity of security concerns within their region such as human trafficking and smuggling surrounding their borders. According to Dr. Rabena, geographical, economic, legal, developmental, and human agency factors encourage maritime crime in the active hotspots monitored by the two nations.

Enhancing Philippines-Malaysia Relations

After discussing Malaysia’s role in the Southeast Asian region, the second panel focused on the opportunities and  various strategies through which the Philippines and Malaysia can strengthen their bilateral ties. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Jocelyn Celero, Assistant to the Dean for External and Cultural Affairs of the UP Asian Center.

Mr. Aleem Siddiqui M. Guiapal, Program Manager of the Halal Development and Trade Office of the Department of Trade and Industry began the panel with a presentation on the current developments in the Philippines’ halal industry. Mr. Guiapal showcased the halal as an emerging industry in the country as well as the inter-sectoral and transnational efforts towards developing a halal-friendly Philippines.

Meanwhile, focusing on the strong halal ecosystem in Malaysia, Ms. Intan Zalani, Trade Attaché of the Embassy of Malaysia in Manila, talked about the prospects for the two countries in the emerging halal market. Ms. Zalani reports that as a global leader in the halal industry, Malaysia promotes growth in halal trade and investment through initiatives such as the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS).

Finally, Dr. Ariel Lopez, Associate Professor at the UP Asian Center traced the rich diplomatic history between Malaysia and the Philippines through two Malay letters dating between 1700s to the 1900s. The letters showcased Malay as a trade language and a diplomatic lingua franca, and  as evidence of the shared heritage between the two countries. Current diplomatic and trade relations between Malaysia and the Philippines, as Dr. Lopez argued, is but a continuation of centuries of connectivity.

Malaysia and the Philippines Towards Deeper Cooperation

The forum sparked a productive discussion on regional diplomacy, transnational security, trade and industry, diplomatic heritage, and the role of the ASEAN chairmanship of Malaysia in sustainability and inclusivity.

Undersecretary Jaafar presented some developments within Malaysia’s roadmap for its ASEAN chairmanship, highlighting the sociocultural and environmental pillars in the agenda, the stakeholder consultations for the chairmanship, and the constructive diplomatic engagements with ASEAN member states. Similarly, Dr. Santarita underscored the need to leverage digital means and educational institutions to raise awareness of human rights and good governance among ASEAN member states.

In terms of the sectors where relations can be bolstered, Dr. Rabena elaborated on the vital role of security cooperation between the Philippines and Malaysia both in addressing transnational crime and in building the capacity of both nations to deter tensions within contested regions. Meanwhile, according to Ms. Zalani, there is consistent growth forecasted for the halal business industry. In this regard, Mr. Guiapal emphasized that developing trade and investment, as well as promotion of halal in education in the Bangsamoro region offers opportunities for economic growth for its people. In terms of heritage, Dr. Lopez underscored the need for collaborative research efforts and the promotion of language diversity in the Bangsamoro region.

Before concluding the celebration, Mr. Amal M. Asarani, Chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the 60 Years of Malaysia-Philippines Relations Forum expressed his gratitude to all the organizers, speakers, sponsors, and participants of the activity. Finally, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs, Hon. Maria Theresa P. Lazaro officially closed the forum by conveying the Philippine government’s support to Malaysia as they take on the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025.   

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ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

This forum is jointly organized by the Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman and the Embassy of Malaysia in Manila in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Philippines-Malaysia relations. 

For inquiries, please contact us at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 891-8500 loc. 3586.

The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The UP Asian Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. It also offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. As an area studies institution, the Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website.