Building Asean ties: Anwar meeting Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong during a courtesy visit at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi. — Bernama
HANOI: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia could learn from the experience of Vietnam, which was able to redevelop the country after it was almost destroyed by French colonialism and American direct involvement.
Anwar said due to the destruction, many Vietnamese people had to flee, including to Malaysia. There was chaos in their home country at that time, which was unsafe, and the economy was also severely affected.
“The suffering of the Vietnamese people (during the period of chaos), as we in Malaysia know them as boat people, those who had to flee the country because of economic problems and sudden changes.
“However, as we are aware, Vietnam has been making progress in a short period of time as an amazing economic power and among the most successful developing countries in the world.
“This is due to the unification of North and South Vietnam, and the focus of the people of that country is unity, with the clear goal of developing the country and safeguarding the people’s well-being,” he told Malaysian media before ending his two-day visit to Vietnam.
Anwar said in the 1990s, Vietnam relied on and learned from Malaysia, especially in the financial and banking sectors, but now they are ahead of Malaysia in several sectors.
Anwar had on Thursday said that Vietnam had been a close friend of Malaysia since diplomatic relations were established between both countries five decades ago.
“Malaysia is ready to expand the present collaboration and special relationship to greater heights,” he said in a speech at an official dinner hosted by Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Anwar also admired the Vietnamese people’s struggle to recover from the hardships experienced during the fight against colonialists.
“Because of the resilient leadership and the people, Vietnam has been enormously successful in just a few decades, establishing itself as an important country in Asean and now known as one of the most promising developing countries in the world,” he said.
Anwar also said he was happy with the cooperation between both countries to strengthen bilateral relations when he met with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Nguyen Phu Trong, on Thursday.
“I was also informed His Excellency Nguyen Phu Trong often spoke about anti-corruption and good governance in Vietnam, and we were both able to agree on the importance of these issues,” he said.
Anwar spent about an hour visiting Hanoi Book Street yesterday, the most famous designated book area on 19/12 Street. Chinh accompanied him.
Anwar’s wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was also in attendance.
The 200m-long Book Street was opened in 2017 and currently comprises 16 bookstores, including shops of famous publishers and book companies with local and international authors.
Apart from bookstores, the street is also beautifully designed with greenery, with a cultural space and a cafe for visitors to rest after searching for good books.
After visiting Book Street, Anwar joined the Muslim community in Hanoi to perform Friday prayers at the Al Noor Mosque, the only mosque in the city.
He also interacted with the Imam and the congregants and donated to the mosque to benefit the Hanoi Muslim community. —Bernama
