MTCP Reflects Malaysia’s Commitment To South-South Cooperation
KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Bernama) -- Malaysia continues to strengthen people-to-people ties, build professional networks, and nurture the spirit of partnership among countries through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP), which reflects the country’s continued commitment to South-South Cooperation.
Director of the Centre for Leadership, Negotiation, and Public Diplomacy at the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR), Datuk Dr Mohamad Rameez Yahaya, said platforms such as the MTCP programme are more important than ever in today’s increasingly complex and interconnected global environment.
“The challenges our countries face, whether in economic uncertainty, climate change, regional security, sustainable development, or social resilience, cannot be addressed in isolation.
“They require dialogue, cooperation, mutual understanding, and trust. It is through programmes such as this that we are able to strengthen people-to-people ties, build professional networks, and nurture the spirit of partnership among countries,” he said during the closing and certificate presentation ceremony of the MTCP Negotiation Course for International Participants, here Thursday.
Mohamad Rameez said the programme also reflected Malaysia’s continued commitment to South-South Cooperation and to sharing its development experience with partner countries.
He said through MTCP, Malaysia seeks not only to provide training and capacity-building opportunities, but also to foster long-term relationships based on mutual respect, shared learning, and common progress.
The 10-day programme was designed to provide participants with “a strong foundation in negotiation, particularly within the context of diplomacy and international relations”.
Participants were exposed to areas such as negotiation essentials, cross-cultural negotiation, strategic thinking, and decision-making in complex negotiation settings, managing conflict, and building consensus, as well as international negotiation.
According to Mohamad Rameez, negotiation was “not merely about reaching an agreement”.
“It is also about understanding interests, managing differences, building trust, and finding solutions that are constructive, sustainable, and mutually beneficial,” he said.
He said the programme was further enriched through study visits, including to Wisma Putra, which provided participants with insights into the practical conduct of Malaysia’s foreign policy and the role of diplomacy in managing bilateral, regional, and multilateral engagements.
Participants also visited the Petronas Twin Towers, Central Market, and Malaysian Tourism Centre, as well as several locations in Sarawak, including the Sarawak State Secretary’s Office, Borneo Cultures Museum, Sarawak Cultural Village, and Semenggoh Wildlife Centre.
He said these experiences were intended to deepen participants’ understanding of Malaysia’s national identity, cultural richness, history, and developmental progress.
“We believe that diplomacy is not only shaped in meeting rooms and negotiation tables. It is also shaped by understanding people, culture, history, institutions, and the values that guide a nation’s outlook and engagement with the world,” he added.
-- BERNAMA
