Mohamad Hasan to Lead Malaysian Delegation to 9th Philippines-Malaysia JCM Meeting in Manila

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan will lead the Malaysian delegation to the 9th Philippines-Malaysia Joint Commission (JCM) Meeting in Manila on Tuesday, with efforts to strengthen bilateral trade, cross-border investment and regional economic resilience among the main issues on the agenda.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra) in a statement informed that Mohamad will co-chair the meeting with Philippine Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, with the JCM being the highest bilateral mechanism between Malaysia and the Philippines.

“This meeting will serve as an important platform for both countries to assess the progress of existing bilateral cooperation, as well as to formulate strategic approaches in facing the global environment shaped by market and economic uncertainties,” according to the statement.

Both Ministers are expected to explore wider cooperation spaces in key sectors, including the halal ecosystem and Islamic finance, energy cooperation, agriculture and food security, as well as defence and security cooperation, disaster management and emergency response.

According to Wisma Putra, the visit has added significance given that the Philippines is the current ASEAN Chair, with Malaysia reaffirming its commitment to work closely with Manila “not only bilaterally, but also in supporting the Philippine ASEAN Chairmanship.”

“This will continue to underscore Malaysia’s commitment to working closely with the Philippines … to safeguard regional stability, promote integrated responses to global challenges and sustain economic growth during unprecedented times,” according to the statement.

The 9th JCM will also follow up on discussions held during the 8th JCM in Kuala Lumpur on October 15 and 16, 2024.

Malaysia and the Philippines have long-established cooperative relations, with both countries recently celebrating the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2024.

In economic terms, the Philippines is Malaysia’s 17th largest trading partner and the fifth largest in ASEAN in 2025, while Malaysia is the Philippines’ ninth largest trading partner globally and the fourth largest in ASEAN.

Total trade between Malaysia and the Philippines amounted to RM35.21 billion (US$8.22 billion), while bilateral trade from January to May 2026 increased by 9.5 percent to RM16.71 billion (US$4.21 billion) from RM15.26 billion (US$3.46 billion) in the same period last year.

BERNAMA