Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Photo: thestar.com

“Vietnam has been making progress in a short period of time as an amazing economic power and among the most successful developing countries in the world,” Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was quoted by The Star as saying.

He said that in the 1990s, Vietnam relied on and learned from Malaysia, especially in the financial and banking sectors, but now they are ahead of Malaysia in several sectors.

“Because of the resilient leadership and the people, Vietnam has been enormously successful in just a few decades, establishing itself as an important country in ASEAN and now known as one of the most promising developing countries in the world,” he said.

The Malaysian Prime Minister told the media the Vietnamese government considers Malaysia an important strategic partner. He added his discussions with Vietnamese leaders focused on cybersecurity and border control, and encouraged Malaysian companies to invest in and develop the halal industry in Vietnam.