Malaysia, Brunei Agree To Strengthen Food Security, Cross-border Mobility, Youth Cooperation

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Brunei have underscored their commitment to deepen cooperation in agriculture, immigration, prisoner transfers and youth development, alongside efforts to strengthen food security and cross-border mobility.

The commitment was made in a joint statement released after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei held discussions in conjunction with the 26th Malaysia-Brunei Annual Leaders’ Consultation (ALC), today.

The ALC is the highest bilateral mechanism between Malaysia and Brunei, serving as a platform for both leaders to review the progress of existing cooperation, discuss current issues and exchange views on regional and international matters of mutual interest.

According to the statement, both leaders highlighted the importance of sharing knowledge and expertise in agriculture towards ensuring food security, with Brunei expressing appreciation for the training provided by the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) to technical officers of the Department of Agriculture and Agrifood of Brunei, which helped strengthen the country’s agricultural sector.

“Both leaders looked forward to continued agricultural cooperation for the benefit of both countries,” said the statement.

On prison matters, the leaders commended the progress achieved under the Treaty on the International Transfer of Prisoners (ITOP) signed on Aug 3, 2023, in Kuala Lumpur.

“They acknowledged the successful first transfer of a Bruneian on Feb 25, 2025 and the transfer of six Malaysians on Aug 6, 2025, to serve the remainder of their sentences in the countries of origin, which reflects the excellent coordination and shared commitment to the effective implementation of the Treaty,” the statement read.

The leaders also welcomed the convening of the 3rd Bilateral Meeting between the Department of Immigration and National Registration of Brunei and the Department of Immigration of Malaysia on Feb 18, 2025, in Bandar Seri Begawan, which reiterated their shared commitment to effective and secure border management in addressing key immigration issues, operational coordination and facilitating safe and orderly cross-border movement.

Both leaders further welcomed the Brunei Malaysia Frequent Traveller Programme (BMFTP), which streamlines cross-border travel by reducing passport stamp usage and immigration endorsements and expressed optimism that the BMFTP would continue to facilitate smoother mobility, ease congestion at checkpoints, and enhance overall cross-border efficiency.

Anwar and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah also commended the strengthening of youth and sports cooperation, highlighted by Brunei’s participation in the 4th ASEAN Youth Dialogue and the 4th ASEAN Leaders’ Interface with ASEAN Youth in May 2025 in Kuala Lumpur under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship, which focused on youth leadership, inclusion and sustainable development.

They also expressed pleasure at Brunei Darussalam’s long-standing participation in the SUKMA Games since 2000, noting its best-ever performance at SUKMA XXI in Sarawak in 2024. 

“The leaders looked forward to Brunei’s participation in the upcoming Borneo Games 2025 to be held in Kuching, Sarawak, on Sept 24 to Sept 28 2025, and reaffirmed the role of sports in enhancing friendship and development opportunities for the youths of the two countries,” it said.

In this regard, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah also underscored Brunei’s full support for Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to working closely with Malaysia in delivering tangible socio-economic benefits to the people of ASEAN.

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah arrived in Malaysia on Monday for a three-day State Visit at the invitation of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia. The Brunei ruler was accompanied by a high-level delegation including Prince Abdul Mateen Bolkiah, Cabinet Ministers, and senior government officials.

Brunei is Malaysia’s sixth-largest trading partner in ASEAN, with total trade amounting to RM7.53 billion (USD1.77 billion) in 2024.

Between January and June this year, Malaysia-Brunei trade reached USD690 million (RM3.02 billion), comprising exports of USD500 million (RM2.18 billion) and imports of USD190 million (RM840 million).

-- BERNAMA