Malaysian Higher Education Minister Dr. Zambry Andel Kadir on Wednesday said Malaysia would continue to support Bangladesh, including in the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and Bangladesh's inclusion as a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN.
"We are looking forward to closer ties with Bangladesh," Dr. Zambry told Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the St. Regis Hotel in the Egyptian capital.
They discussed issues of mutual interest between the two countries, including the recruitment of Bangladeshis in Malaysia, expansion of higher education ties, the Rohingya crisis, and the possibilities of Bangladesh joining ASEAN.
The Malaysian minister is also a champion of microcredit.
CA Dr Yunus leaves for Egypt to attend D-8 summit
The Chief Adviser said he has proposed an international conference on the Rohingya crisis, and expects Malaysia to extend support to the move.
He said more than 80,000 new Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh in recent months after the latest bout of violence gripped Myanmar's Rakhine state, which has been home to the Rohingya people for centuries.
Professor Yunus said he also favoured creating a UN-supervised safe zone for the displaced people in Rakhine state in an effort to assist the violence-plagued region.
During the talks, Professor Yunus said his government plans to hold elections by the first half of 2026.