Malaysian Speaker will lead a high-level delegation to Cambodia

Khuon Sudary (R), President of Cambodia’s National Assembly, meets with Tan Sri Dato Dr Johari bin Abdul, Speaker of Malaysia’s House of Representatives,the Dewan Rakyat. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN-Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) on October 20, 2024. 

Cambodia will host an official visit by a high-level Malaysian parliamentary delegation led by Tan Sri Dato Dr Johari bin Abdul, Speaker of Malaysia’s House of Representatives, the Dewan Rakyat, who will be accompanied by his wife.

The news was announced by the Cambodian government and confirmed by the Malaysian Embassy to the Kingdom yesterday, with the visit taking place from Thursday to Saturday.

According to a representative from the embassy, the visit was made at the invitation of Cambodian National Assembly President Khuon Sudary during her meeting with Johari on the sidelines of the 45th General Assembly of the ASEAN-Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) hosted in Phnom Penh in October last year.

The Malaysian delegation will pay homage to King Norodom Sihamoni at the Royal Palace and meet with top Cambodian leaders, including Sudary, Senate President Hun Sen, and Prime Minister Hun Manet.

To prepare for the arrival of Johari and his delegation, a key meeting was held yesterday at the headquarters of the National Military Police in Phnom Penh to discuss directives to ensure public security, maintain order, and manage emergencies during the high-profile diplomatic visit.

Chaired by Sar Sambothon, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the National Military Police, the security meeting was attended by deputy commanders, commissioners, deputy commissioners, specialised office directors, and unit commanders under the National Military Police. The discussion was further extended to all provincial and capital military police commands and training centres through a video conference, ensuring comprehensive coordination across the country.

With these measures in place, the National Military Police aims to safeguard public safety and ensure the success of the Malaysian Parliamentary delegation’s official state visit as well as security during the upcoming Lunar New Year.

During his meeting with Sudary in October last year, Johari extended his congratulations and expressed appreciation over Cambodia’s rapid growth under the leadership of former Prime Minister Hun Sen and his successor Prime Minister Hun Manet.

The Malaysian Speaker said Cambodia had great agricultural potential and that Malaysia aimed to promote and expand cooperation in food security, climate change, and renewable energy. He said he had asked young Malaysian lawmakers to visit Cambodia and learn about the election process following smooth, peaceful, just, and non-violent elections in 2023.

Both speakers pledged to continue strengthening ties between the two countries, especially between parliaments, for mutual support in regional and global inter-parliamentary fora.

In July 2023, while appearing on an episode of Cross-Talk during his visit to Cambodia to observe the General Election, Johari said he was full of praise for the way the election was conducted and noted several unique procedures that could be adopted by his country.

Among these was the ban on alcohol sales on the eve and day of polling.

“On these days, there is no campaigning or drinking of alcohol, meaning that mentally, everybody should be prepared to go out and vote with a clear mind by not being influenced by alcohol or anything else,” Johari said. “This is something that I don’t think many countries have adopted.”

Another election procedure that impressed him is the way the Cambodian government has an exact timeline for the election: every five years, on a certain date, and on a certain Sunday.

During the interview, he revealed that he had lived in Cambodia in the 2000s and was impressed by the way the country and Phnom Penh had transformed from being war-ravaged.