Envoy brings enhanced Bahrain-Malaysia ties to the fore

The depth and cordiality between Bahrain and Malaysia could be put to good use to enhance their interconnection, the Ambassador of Malaysia to Ahmed Shahzan Abdul Samad said. One of the primary tools in the way forward for Bahrain is branding, he said. “It is important for Bahrain to brand itself. Part of Dubai’s rise to the international status is its branding. Bahrain, by way of its geographical positioning and its people is at a very advantageous position as the Arabian Gulf hub in many sectors,” the ambassador said. The country has inherent strengths in the financial sector and information technology. In addition, the nation has laws that are far ahead in making this nation a key destination, the diplomat told Bahrain News Agency. Building on these strengths would put Bahrain at a considerable advantage to be an Arabian Gulf hub. “This is the reading of many top Malaysians who have visited Bahrain,” Abdul Samad said. In comments on the discussions held with the Minister for Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Dr Juma Ahmed Al Ka’abi, the Malaysian ambassador said that “one of the key areas is the cooperation between the two countries in landscaping.” Malaysian entity Risda Semaian and Landskap Sdn. Bhd – a government-owned company engaged in landscaping, pitching itself for landscaping in Bahrain. The municipalities ministry embarked on a pilot project at Al Hamala. The ambassador said that during the meeting with Dr Juma, the signing of a memorandum of understanding with this company was taken up. The plan being taken forward is establishing a liaison office in Bahrain and negotiating for a two year contract in landscaping. “A liaison office will help answer all the queries that the government of Bahrain may have on any aspect of the project,” the ambassador added. In addition to the landscaping, Malaysia also looks to establishing a quality audit agency for benchmarking materials quality. “Sirim Qas International, the Malaysian organisation, has the expertise in this area and we could extend this to Bahrain,” the ambassador said.