Pakistan – Malaysia Relations

Pakistan and Malaysia have historically enjoyed close and cordial relations. Pakistan was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Malaysia in 1957. It is noteworthy that Justice Abdul Hamid of Pakistan played a historical role in drafting Malaysia’s constitution as part of the Reid Commission.

Ever since, the two countries have come a long way in consolidating relations in diverse areas, and bilateral relations have grown from strength to strength across various spheres including economy and trade, manpower exports, education and cooperation in international arena, and further exemplified by frequent exchange of high level visits.

The two countries mostly share similar perspectives on world affairs and often take coordinated positions on issues of mutual concern and interest at various international fora including United Nations, OIC, D-8 and NAM. Malaysia supported Pakistan to acquire Sectoral Dialogue Partnership with ASEAN, membership of ARF (ASEAN Regional Forum) and Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) as well as observer status at ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

Pakistan and Malaysia have established several cooperation mechanisms at political, economic and defence levels. Both countries have also signed Free Trade Agreement (Malaysia Pakistan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) as well as various other MoUs/Agreements across diverse domains.

Bilateral trade has gained momentum over the past few years and was recorded at US$ 1.5 billion in 2023-24. Pakistan’s major exports to Malaysia include rice, condensate oil, onions, potatoes, home textile, corn, seafood, and meat, whereas chief imports include palm oil and its products, petroleum, LNG, computers and laptops, nonwoven wadding, and fiber board etc.

Tourism between both countries has gained momentum over the past few years and Malaysia currently ranks amongst the top tourist source countries to Pakistan. Malaysian tourists take keen interest in exploring the wonderful landscapes and the rich cultural heritage of Pakistan, whereas Pakistan has also gained reputation amongst Malaysian Buddhist and Sikh communities as a major destination for religious tourism.

There are an estimated 160,000 Pakistani nationals residing in Malaysia, belonging to various walks of life. Over 3800 Pakistani students are studying in higher education institutes in Malaysia, making Pakistan the 3^rd largest source of international students in Malaysia.

Pakistan is also one of the major workforce source countries for Malaysia in various key sectors including plantation, construction, manufacturing, agriculture and services etc.

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