KNOWLEDGE sharing between the Malaysian and United Arab Emirates (UAE) governments would be necessary for both countries in preparation for future crises, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar.
Kamaruddin was speaking at a recent virtual conference focused on the experiences and best practices of both countries in combating the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was organised by the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) under the Foreign Affairs Ministry, in cooperation with Rabdan Academy, an UAE-based leading educational institution specialising in security, defence and emergency preparedness.
“This initiative is an impetus for meaningful future relations and deeper cooperation between the two countries. The takeaway from the session would be crucial to both sides in preparation of any or similar circumstances, moving forward.
“We hope this will pave the way for more similar collaborations between Malaysia and the UAE,” he said.
He added that the academy provides the latest training programmes with international standards that meets the ministry’s needs in terms of education and training its employees in specialised subjects, with the aim of developing and enhancing their capabilities.
In addition, the UAE Ambassador to Malaysia Khalid Ghanem Al Ghaith opined, “Malaysia and the UAE share a high level of cooperation through knowledge sharing on combating Covid-19 in each country. Our cooperation emphasised the need for global cooperation and the need to exchange learnings in combating Covid-19.”
Moreover, the cooperation between Rabdan Academy and the Malaysian Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations is a reflection of the level of bilateral relations between the UAE and Malaysia, especially in facing the challenges of Covid-19, said Rabdan Academy vice president Dr Faisal Al-Ayyan.
“The two friendly countries form strategic depth for each other extending from East Asia to the heart of the East. The cooperation covers several areas, such as food security, trade, economic and cultural exchange. We hope to continue this cooperation with our Malaysian partners,” he shared.
Another example of the close relations between the two countries is the mutual aid sent in assistance to combat the impact of the pandemic, where the UAE has donated 20,000 test kits and masks to Malaysia, while Malaysia has in turn donated food supplies to the UAE.
UAE was also one of the first countries to extend assistance to more than 100 countries and launched numerous humanitarian initiatives to help curb the virus’ spread. For instance, it has to date provided more than 1,279 tonnes of medical aid through 149 medical flights carrying testing kits, masks and personal protective equipment to 107 countries that have directly benefited more than 1.28 million healthcare workers worldwide.
Moving forward together
Noting UAE’s strong historical relationship with Malaysia, its Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry International Development Affairs Assistant Minister Sultan Muhammed Al Shamsi stressed on the need to move forward together by sharing expertise and knowledge on best practices in facing not just the Covid-19 pandemic, but also future crises.
“The Malaysian government has launched several economic plans to help the people, as well as small and medium enterprises. On this note, our strong relationship with the UAE has helped us to learn and improve our strategies when faced with a health crisis like Covid-19,” said Mohd Tarid Sufian, the Malaysian Ambassador to the UAE.
Aside from highlighting the bilateral cooperation and diplomatic relations between the two countries, the webinar also covered three major themes, including the policing system, healthcare and international relations.
It featured keynote speakers such as Royal Malaysia Police Secretary Deputy Commissioner of Police Datuk Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf and Interior Ministry director-general of ministry affairs Colonel Abdulrahman Ali Al Mansouri, who spoke on the issue of policing and the communication of government policies to law enforcement officers, as well as the role of law enforcement in informing the public on current restrictions.
Health Ministry disease control division director Dr Norhayati Rusli and UAE healthcare sector official spokesperson and Dr Farida Al Hosani, on the other hand, went in depth into the strengths of their respective countries’ healthcare systems.
Foreign Affairs Ministry Covid-19 task force head cum protocol chief Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah and the UAE Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation operations department director Mohamed Al-Qurtasi then shared their views on diplomacy and international cooperation in addressing the pandemic.
For more information on Rabdan Academy, visit https://ra.ac.ae/ and view its further effort on YouTube here.
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