WELLINGTON, July 16 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi continues the third day of his official working visit to New Zealand with a series of meetings with several senior leaders of the country in the country’s capital, aimed at strengthening Malaysia–New Zealand bilateral relations.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, began his packed itinerary at 8 am local time (4 am Malaysian time) with a meeting with the Minister for Māori Development, Tama Potaka, held at the Minister’s Meeting Room in the New Zealand Parliament.
The meeting is expected to provide both parties with an opportunity to share views on indigenous community development policies and explore potential cooperation between Malaysia and New Zealand in empowering the Orang Asli community in Malaysia.
He is then scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his counterpart, David Seymour. The meeting will be followed by the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI), symbolising a shared commitment to broaden future cooperation, at the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister’s Office at the Beehive building.
According to the released itinerary, as part of efforts to strengthen ties with the local Muslim community, Ahmad Zahid is also scheduled to visit Kilbirnie Mosque and engage in a dialogue session with the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ).
The Deputy Prime Minister is also scheduled to attend an official luncheon hosted by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters at the Beehive building before delivering a keynote address at the Halal Forum and joining a high tea reception with Minister for Biosecurity and Food Safety Andrew Hoggard.
The forum, which will be held at the National Library of New Zealand, is co-organised by the Halal Industry Development Council (MPIH) and New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). It aims to strengthen cooperation in the halal sector, particularly in food exports and certification.
In a related development, Ahmad Zahid is also scheduled to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Malaysian Government and the New Zealand Government on higher education, aimed at expanding opportunities for Malaysian government-sponsored students to pursue studies in New Zealand.
Tomorrow (Thursday), Ahmad Zahid is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Minister of Agriculture, Trade and Investment Todd McClay. As Chairman of the Central Disaster Management Committee (JPBP), he is also scheduled to visit the country’s National Crisis Management Centre.
In the afternoon, the Deputy Prime Minister will attend a gathering with the Malaysian community in Wellington, expected to draw over 250 Malaysians residing in the country.
Ahmad Zahid is scheduled to conclude his working visit and depart for Kuala Lumpur on Friday (July 18).
Earlier, he began his visit in Auckland by meeting New Zealand industry and business leaders, including the ASEAN New Zealand Business Council (ANZBC), and continued the second day of his visit in Rotorua by attending a Maori Business Roundtable session, as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral ties in social and indigenous community development. — Bernama
