DEPUTY Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi continued his official working visit to New Zealand on Wednesday with a series of high-level meetings in the capital, aimed at further strengthening bilateral relations between the two nations.
Ahmad Zahid, who also serves as Minister of Rural and Regional Development, began his third day with an 8am meeting (4am Malaysian time) with Minister for Māori Development, Tama Potaka, at the New Zealand Parliament.
The engagement, held at the Minister’s Meeting Room, was described as “an opportunity to share views on indigenous community development policies and explore potential cooperation between Malaysia and New Zealand in empowering the Orang Asli community in Malaysia.”
Later in the morning, he was scheduled to meet with his counterpart, David Seymour, with whom he would sign a Letter of Intent (LOI), symbolising both nations’ commitment “to broaden future cooperation.” The signing was to take place at the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister’s Office at the iconic Beehive building.
Strengthening community and religious ties also formed part of the agenda. Zahid was scheduled to visit the Kilbirnie Mosque and participate in a dialogue session with the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ).
The day’s official programme included a luncheon hosted by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters at the Beehive, followed by a keynote address at the Halal Forum, organised at the National Library of New Zealand. Co-hosted by the Halal Industry Development Council (MPIH) and New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), the forum aims “to strengthen cooperation in the halal sector, particularly in food exports and certification.”
The Deputy Prime Minister was also due to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on higher education between the Malaysian and New Zealand governments. The agreement seeks “to expand opportunities for Malaysian government-sponsored students to pursue studies in New Zealand.”
On Thursday, Ahmad Zahid is expected to hold bilateral talks with Minister of Agriculture, Trade and Investment Todd McClay, and, in his capacity as Chairman of the Central Disaster Management Committee (JPBP), to visit the country’s National Crisis Management Centre.
Later in the day, he will meet members of the Malaysian community in Wellington, with more than 250 attendees anticipated.
Ahmad Zahid’s working visit, which began in Auckland with meetings with business leaders and the ASEAN New Zealand Business Council (ANZBC), continued through Rotorua with a Māori Business Roundtable session, and will conclude on Friday, 18 July, when he departs for Kuala Lumpur. - July 16, 2025
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